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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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#12,575 ·
A Horse of a Different Color

When I last posted on Friday, I spoke of being filled with self-doubt. Even though I have had many successes in things that I have tried to accomplish, most of them did not come easily. I don't for one second think that only happens to me. I have always looked upon humans as being an iceberg. We only see a small portion of their makeup and below the surface there is a vast part of them that only the individual can know about and understand. Within that part lies the struggles and victories; the failures and accomplishments; the experiences, feelings and knowledge that is the dictating core of each of our own personality. No matter how intimate we are with another, we still only see small fragments of each other, and a portion of who they are.

I have watched other accomplished people with admiration. As someone who is observing them from the outside, what appears to come to them 'easily' usually took many years of hard work and failures. Those are the parts we sometimes forget.

It is easy to forget the thousands of hours that a musician spent struggling through scales and music theory while we are listening to a beautiful symphony. Watching and hearing them play seems quite effortless, but in reality it is usually the result of years of sitting in a practice room and rehearsing over and over again. The same theory applies to so many other situations.

I believe that the main difference between those who excel at something such as music or art or anything really is the pure desire to learn. As a teacher who taught all level of students in painting and woodworking, I find that those who were the most successful in my classes were there ones who have the greatest desire and passion to pursue whatever they are trying to accomplish. While some may argue that ability is also needed, I believe that it is possible to teach just about anyone anything if they have the proper attitude. In just about every case, if one has the desire and drive to do the work involved in learning, there is a good chance for success.

Granted some things do come easier to some than others. It is the same with numbers, cooking, art, writing, and any other form of learning. But I really feel that if the desire is there, along with the willingness to keep an open mind and put in time and effort, most people can accomplish just about anything they want. We are more in charge of our lives than we think.

With that said, I spent the weekend dedicated to my own learning. As I mentioned in my last post, my current goal is to get a grasp on using watercolor paint. This is something that I have always admired and so far not been very successful in doing. I must admit though, my efforts in the past have been somewhat half-hearted and my attitude toward them a bit cavalier. The resulting effort reflected that. It wasn't until I really set my mind to learning and changed my attitude that I once again felt that I would give them a try. The desire had to be there.

While I was ill for the past several weeks, I wasn't in the mood for creating. I just wasn't feeling it. But a month or so ago, I had ordered some new Mission Gold Watercolors and they had arrived. I felt I was ready to learn something new and expand my artistic abilities. I used the time when I was down to read, watch videos and learn about this medium. By the time I felt better, I felt I was ready to tackle this paint, only with a bit of knowledge and a lot of determination.

I showed you some of the photos of my 'trial runs' last week. While the shell and the octopus that I painted were a struggle, I felt encouraged enough to continue on.

I am on a 'sea life' kick lately and I chose a photo of a seahorse for my reference and first 'real' project. I admit that it was a bit tedious, but I felt I was on the right track:

Eye Jaw Art Eyelash Creative arts


I used the basic principles that I had learned from my research and reading and although it was quite difficult for me, I carried on:

Extinction Jaw Organism Rib Art


You can see by the back fin where I botched things up a bit. I was discouraged at that point, even though I liked the head. But I forced myself to step back, take a break, and return to it the next day with fresh eyes.

By the next morning, I had figured out my errors and was able to repair what I had thought I ruined. After all - it is only a practice piece. Everything we do can't be a masterpiece, right? I forged ahead and in the end, I was satisfied with the result:

Jaw Terrestrial animal Extinction Tail Drawing


The above seahorse was created by mixing only five colors, and I really had a lesson in values. Unlike acrylic or oil painting, when painting with watercolor you need to 'leave out' the highlights and not 'kill them'. It is like reversing the process that I was so used to and comfortable with in my other paintings. It really made me aware of the lights and darks of the piece and it was very much a struggle to force my brain to think in that direction. But by the end of the piece, it was much easier than it was in the beginning. I was able to 'change channels' in my brain and start thinking in the way I needed to do so in order to accomplish this. It opened an entire new avenue for me.

Head Vertebrate Jaw Organism Extinction


But I wanted to do more. As with anything new, I didn't want that feeling and knowledge to 'pass'. I read somewhere in my travels that you will never get better at painting if you don't keep painting. Somehow, that stuck in the back of my mind. Practice really is the only way to feel more comfortable and achieve. So I decided to try something else.

Since my main issue with the watercolor paints is evaluating and observing "values" (light and dark areas), I decided to try the same pattern, only change the colors. This would force me to think in terms of value instead of color, and I thought would be a good exercise for me to strengthen what I just learned. So I decided to create the seahorse in blue tones as well:

Hand Vertebrate Art Gesture Finger


This really made me struggle as well, but in a good way. Again after about an hour, I began to be more comfortable with the process. It took me far less time to create the second seahorse, and I felt it was every bit as good:

Jaw Organism Extinction Illustration Drawing


As I place them side by side, I see the subtle differences in them.

Hair Head Jaw Organism Mammal


More importantly, I do see some areas of improvement. Not to mention the feeling I had when painting the second piece. I no longer felt that I was sliding down a slippery hill, but rather cautiously hiking down a trail. I am not running yet, but with some more practice, I have no doubt that I will eventually be able to jog and then perhaps run with this medium. It is all up to me.

I know this post is long again, but I really wanted to make these points. So far, when I have shown these pieces, I have had very positive responses from people. Not only does that feel great, but it also encourages me to pursue this avenue a bit more. I did however want people to be aware that I didn't just pick up the brush and paint. There have been many hours of videos, lessons and preparation to learn about what I was doing before the brush ever hit the paper. (That is the iceberg part!) While I have no doubt it made things much easier for me to do things this way, I still want to acknowledge that this effort wasn't without its bumbles and mistakes. Sometimes only application can truly teach us and give us the hands-on experience we need to be successful. I am sure there will be many more mistakes in the future, but I look forward to them, as each of them respresent a hurdle that I will overcome to improve. I will embrace them and learn from them.

Today is overcast (again!) and there is the threat of rain or snow. It is a bit cold for mid-April and I think everyone is getting anxious for the warmer weather. It won't be long now though until it arrives and I believe we will all be very happy to see it. Once again, we need to be patient.

I hope you all have a great week ahead. I also hope that my post here reminds you that some things really do take time. I have a personal saying that comes to mind every now and then: "If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it." It helps me when I am not successful at my first attempt and reminds me to keep trying.

Happy Monday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,576 ·
A Horse of a Different Color

When I last posted on Friday, I spoke of being filled with self-doubt. Even though I have had many successes in things that I have tried to accomplish, most of them did not come easily. I don't for one second think that only happens to me. I have always looked upon humans as being an iceberg. We only see a small portion of their makeup and below the surface there is a vast part of them that only the individual can know about and understand. Within that part lies the struggles and victories; the failures and accomplishments; the experiences, feelings and knowledge that is the dictating core of each of our own personality. No matter how intimate we are with another, we still only see small fragments of each other, and a portion of who they are.

I have watched other accomplished people with admiration. As someone who is observing them from the outside, what appears to come to them 'easily' usually took many years of hard work and failures. Those are the parts we sometimes forget.

It is easy to forget the thousands of hours that a musician spent struggling through scales and music theory while we are listening to a beautiful symphony. Watching and hearing them play seems quite effortless, but in reality it is usually the result of years of sitting in a practice room and rehearsing over and over again. The same theory applies to so many other situations.

I believe that the main difference between those who excel at something such as music or art or anything really is the pure desire to learn. As a teacher who taught all level of students in painting and woodworking, I find that those who were the most successful in my classes were there ones who have the greatest desire and passion to pursue whatever they are trying to accomplish. While some may argue that ability is also needed, I believe that it is possible to teach just about anyone anything if they have the proper attitude. In just about every case, if one has the desire and drive to do the work involved in learning, there is a good chance for success.

Granted some things do come easier to some than others. It is the same with numbers, cooking, art, writing, and any other form of learning. But I really feel that if the desire is there, along with the willingness to keep an open mind and put in time and effort, most people can accomplish just about anything they want. We are more in charge of our lives than we think.

With that said, I spent the weekend dedicated to my own learning. As I mentioned in my last post, my current goal is to get a grasp on using watercolor paint. This is something that I have always admired and so far not been very successful in doing. I must admit though, my efforts in the past have been somewhat half-hearted and my attitude toward them a bit cavalier. The resulting effort reflected that. It wasn't until I really set my mind to learning and changed my attitude that I once again felt that I would give them a try. The desire had to be there.

While I was ill for the past several weeks, I wasn't in the mood for creating. I just wasn't feeling it. But a month or so ago, I had ordered some new Mission Gold Watercolors and they had arrived. I felt I was ready to learn something new and expand my artistic abilities. I used the time when I was down to read, watch videos and learn about this medium. By the time I felt better, I felt I was ready to tackle this paint, only with a bit of knowledge and a lot of determination.

I showed you some of the photos of my 'trial runs' last week. While the shell and the octopus that I painted were a struggle, I felt encouraged enough to continue on.

I am on a 'sea life' kick lately and I chose a photo of a seahorse for my reference and first 'real' project. I admit that it was a bit tedious, but I felt I was on the right track:

Eye Jaw Art Eyelash Creative arts


I used the basic principles that I had learned from my research and reading and although it was quite difficult for me, I carried on:

Extinction Jaw Organism Rib Art


You can see by the back fin where I botched things up a bit. I was discouraged at that point, even though I liked the head. But I forced myself to step back, take a break, and return to it the next day with fresh eyes.

By the next morning, I had figured out my errors and was able to repair what I had thought I ruined. After all - it is only a practice piece. Everything we do can't be a masterpiece, right? I forged ahead and in the end, I was satisfied with the result:

Jaw Terrestrial animal Extinction Tail Drawing


The above seahorse was created by mixing only five colors, and I really had a lesson in values. Unlike acrylic or oil painting, when painting with watercolor you need to 'leave out' the highlights and not 'kill them'. It is like reversing the process that I was so used to and comfortable with in my other paintings. It really made me aware of the lights and darks of the piece and it was very much a struggle to force my brain to think in that direction. But by the end of the piece, it was much easier than it was in the beginning. I was able to 'change channels' in my brain and start thinking in the way I needed to do so in order to accomplish this. It opened an entire new avenue for me.

Head Vertebrate Jaw Organism Extinction


But I wanted to do more. As with anything new, I didn't want that feeling and knowledge to 'pass'. I read somewhere in my travels that you will never get better at painting if you don't keep painting. Somehow, that stuck in the back of my mind. Practice really is the only way to feel more comfortable and achieve. So I decided to try something else.

Since my main issue with the watercolor paints is evaluating and observing "values" (light and dark areas), I decided to try the same pattern, only change the colors. This would force me to think in terms of value instead of color, and I thought would be a good exercise for me to strengthen what I just learned. So I decided to create the seahorse in blue tones as well:

Hand Vertebrate Art Gesture Finger


This really made me struggle as well, but in a good way. Again after about an hour, I began to be more comfortable with the process. It took me far less time to create the second seahorse, and I felt it was every bit as good:

Jaw Organism Extinction Illustration Drawing


As I place them side by side, I see the subtle differences in them.

Hair Head Jaw Organism Mammal


More importantly, I do see some areas of improvement. Not to mention the feeling I had when painting the second piece. I no longer felt that I was sliding down a slippery hill, but rather cautiously hiking down a trail. I am not running yet, but with some more practice, I have no doubt that I will eventually be able to jog and then perhaps run with this medium. It is all up to me.

I know this post is long again, but I really wanted to make these points. So far, when I have shown these pieces, I have had very positive responses from people. Not only does that feel great, but it also encourages me to pursue this avenue a bit more. I did however want people to be aware that I didn't just pick up the brush and paint. There have been many hours of videos, lessons and preparation to learn about what I was doing before the brush ever hit the paper. (That is the iceberg part!) While I have no doubt it made things much easier for me to do things this way, I still want to acknowledge that this effort wasn't without its bumbles and mistakes. Sometimes only application can truly teach us and give us the hands-on experience we need to be successful. I am sure there will be many more mistakes in the future, but I look forward to them, as each of them respresent a hurdle that I will overcome to improve. I will embrace them and learn from them.

Today is overcast (again!) and there is the threat of rain or snow. It is a bit cold for mid-April and I think everyone is getting anxious for the warmer weather. It won't be long now though until it arrives and I believe we will all be very happy to see it. Once again, we need to be patient.

I hope you all have a great week ahead. I also hope that my post here reminds you that some things really do take time. I have a personal saying that comes to mind every now and then: "If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it." It helps me when I am not successful at my first attempt and reminds me to keep trying.

Happy Monday to you all!
Looks like you are getting on superbly, despite the downturn in the weather. Really beautifully done.
(Maybe I shouldn't mention that the local orchards here are bursting into blossom?)
Have a wonderful day.
 

Attachments

#12,579 ·
Planning a Change

I am running late today because I got distracted. I don't believe I mentioned it here in my blog, but in a couple of months we are moving into a much bigger place. Most of you who follow me here in social media know that for the past seven years, we have been living and running our business out of a one bedroom apartment. While it is clean and nice and we have used our storage to the utmost efficiency, we both decided that it is getting too hard to do so with our business growing the way it is and it is time to move to a bigger place. It is just a matter of necessity.

I am bittersweet in this decision because there are a lot of things that I really love about our place here. I love the view for one, with the river just across the road the the woods behind us. I love the quiet neighborhood and rural atmosphere. I love the freedom that we have to do our own thing, as the place we rent is our own wing of a sprawling ranch house which is completely private from the other residence.

But the drawbacks of living here are mounting.

I am getting tired of scroll sawing at the side of our kitchen. Even though we keep our things 'minimal' there is set up and clean up time every time we need to do something. Since I have been providing more and more painting surfaces, my scrolling time has really increased and it is becoming something that is more than just 'occasional' to make prototypes. We need a shop and designated area to do the noisy and somewhat messy wood working.

We also have had to increase the amount of supplies and office products that we need to function on a daily basis. Since we are printing and shipping more, we need to store these things and we have simply run out of space. Every square inch of every corner and closet is used, and while we still look rather 'neat' to someone just coming to visit, we have to dig and move many things to get to everything. It is getting to be troublesome and the time involved is better spent designing.

Finally, our landlord has somewhat slacked off with caring for things. While she used to be on top of things, we have noticed a definite change. Normal wear and tear things, not to mention a closet that had to be re-drywalled due to a leaking roof has been a low priority on their agenda. The said closet has been torn apart for nearly a year, forcing us to shift half of the contents to our other small bedroom closet, making it over filled. With a place this small, we need every square inch and once again I am finding that being patient doesn't always pay off. It was suppose to be completed by Christmas and now we are well into April with no sign of change. Add to that the huge rent increase last year and it was pretty much an easy decision. It is time for a change.

We have been casually looking for a new place for several months. We wanted someplace that is clean, nice and where the owners would offer us a long-term contract. We don't want to have to move again for several years, as it is not only expensive to do so, but also disrupts our business as you can imagine.

By chance we found an entire house that was up for rent. The owners just purchased a different home, but didn't really want to give up the home that was in their family for many years. Through several circumstances things fell into place and in the end we are happy to say we will be renting their house for the next several years. We are so thrilled!

After years of living in a tiny place, we will have probably five times the room we are used to. I will have an entire room to myself, which I will make into a studio. It is fairly large (12' x 12' or so) and has large corner windows and will be the perfect place for me to create. I am so excited! The rest of the house is lovely as well, as the owners have done extensive remodeling and upgrading to it. It has just about everything we want in a place to live and I can only say I am thrilled about moving there.

There is so much planning to do though! We won't be settled in until the beginning of July, which is good for use as it allows us time to plan. Keith and I are both very good organizers and we are already having a great time figuring out how to use all the extra space. (Thus my distraction today. I was cyber shopping and looking at furniture!) I promise to keep you all updated on how we are doing. It is going to be a fun adventure!

But for now I have to keep moving ahead with work. We are planning to update our site later today and will have some new things for you all to enjoy.

Keith created another beautiful Bible verse plaque based on the 23rd Psalm:

Wood Font Rectangle Art Poster


His SLDK409 plaque is already posted on the site HERE and you can purchase the pattern for it now.

He is also working on some more plaques to add in very shortly.

I will be adding in some new painting surfaces for you all to enjoy. These cute ornaments are two pieced like the SLDPK129 Elegant Bevel Cut Ornaments, but they are of different, cute shapes.

Circle Font Metal Fashion accessory Pattern


I also have matching full sized plaques in these shapes as well. The products should be up there later today by the time we send our our Newsletter.

I also am now able to release my wooden Victorian skate pattern and surface from last year's Art Play Date.

Footwear Shoe Font Outdoor shoe Fashion accessory


You can now purchase the pattern as well as the surface from my site. (as soon as I post it!) I will also be making the video for that project public very soon.

I had better get moving on things though. I have some orders to pack and mail out and then the newsletter to write. Hopefully we will get it out by early evening.

It is another grey, overcast and rainy day here, but that is what spring usually brings. I hope you all have a great day today and take some time to enjoy yourself.

Happy Tuesday to you!
 

Attachments

#12,580 ·
Planning a Change

I am running late today because I got distracted. I don't believe I mentioned it here in my blog, but in a couple of months we are moving into a much bigger place. Most of you who follow me here in social media know that for the past seven years, we have been living and running our business out of a one bedroom apartment. While it is clean and nice and we have used our storage to the utmost efficiency, we both decided that it is getting too hard to do so with our business growing the way it is and it is time to move to a bigger place. It is just a matter of necessity.

I am bittersweet in this decision because there are a lot of things that I really love about our place here. I love the view for one, with the river just across the road the the woods behind us. I love the quiet neighborhood and rural atmosphere. I love the freedom that we have to do our own thing, as the place we rent is our own wing of a sprawling ranch house which is completely private from the other residence.

But the drawbacks of living here are mounting.

I am getting tired of scroll sawing at the side of our kitchen. Even though we keep our things 'minimal' there is set up and clean up time every time we need to do something. Since I have been providing more and more painting surfaces, my scrolling time has really increased and it is becoming something that is more than just 'occasional' to make prototypes. We need a shop and designated area to do the noisy and somewhat messy wood working.

We also have had to increase the amount of supplies and office products that we need to function on a daily basis. Since we are printing and shipping more, we need to store these things and we have simply run out of space. Every square inch of every corner and closet is used, and while we still look rather 'neat' to someone just coming to visit, we have to dig and move many things to get to everything. It is getting to be troublesome and the time involved is better spent designing.

Finally, our landlord has somewhat slacked off with caring for things. While she used to be on top of things, we have noticed a definite change. Normal wear and tear things, not to mention a closet that had to be re-drywalled due to a leaking roof has been a low priority on their agenda. The said closet has been torn apart for nearly a year, forcing us to shift half of the contents to our other small bedroom closet, making it over filled. With a place this small, we need every square inch and once again I am finding that being patient doesn't always pay off. It was suppose to be completed by Christmas and now we are well into April with no sign of change. Add to that the huge rent increase last year and it was pretty much an easy decision. It is time for a change.

We have been casually looking for a new place for several months. We wanted someplace that is clean, nice and where the owners would offer us a long-term contract. We don't want to have to move again for several years, as it is not only expensive to do so, but also disrupts our business as you can imagine.

By chance we found an entire house that was up for rent. The owners just purchased a different home, but didn't really want to give up the home that was in their family for many years. Through several circumstances things fell into place and in the end we are happy to say we will be renting their house for the next several years. We are so thrilled!

After years of living in a tiny place, we will have probably five times the room we are used to. I will have an entire room to myself, which I will make into a studio. It is fairly large (12' x 12' or so) and has large corner windows and will be the perfect place for me to create. I am so excited! The rest of the house is lovely as well, as the owners have done extensive remodeling and upgrading to it. It has just about everything we want in a place to live and I can only say I am thrilled about moving there.

There is so much planning to do though! We won't be settled in until the beginning of July, which is good for use as it allows us time to plan. Keith and I are both very good organizers and we are already having a great time figuring out how to use all the extra space. (Thus my distraction today. I was cyber shopping and looking at furniture!) I promise to keep you all updated on how we are doing. It is going to be a fun adventure!

But for now I have to keep moving ahead with work. We are planning to update our site later today and will have some new things for you all to enjoy.

Keith created another beautiful Bible verse plaque based on the 23rd Psalm:

Wood Font Rectangle Art Poster


His SLDK409 plaque is already posted on the site HERE and you can purchase the pattern for it now.

He is also working on some more plaques to add in very shortly.

I will be adding in some new painting surfaces for you all to enjoy. These cute ornaments are two pieced like the SLDPK129 Elegant Bevel Cut Ornaments, but they are of different, cute shapes.

Circle Font Metal Fashion accessory Pattern


I also have matching full sized plaques in these shapes as well. The products should be up there later today by the time we send our our Newsletter.

I also am now able to release my wooden Victorian skate pattern and surface from last year's Art Play Date.

Footwear Shoe Font Outdoor shoe Fashion accessory


You can now purchase the pattern as well as the surface from my site. (as soon as I post it!) I will also be making the video for that project public very soon.

I had better get moving on things though. I have some orders to pack and mail out and then the newsletter to write. Hopefully we will get it out by early evening.

It is another grey, overcast and rainy day here, but that is what spring usually brings. I hope you all have a great day today and take some time to enjoy yourself.

Happy Tuesday to you!
Congrats on your new home Sheila. I hope you have found as nice a location as the place you are in now. Nice to be moving in the summer time! It will be great to have your own studio space to create the wonderful things you do.
 

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#12,583 ·
Site Update - Take 2

Yesterday was one of those days when I felt as if I was running in circles. It wasn't bad at all, but there were just a lot of things on our plates and we were trying to accomplish a great deal in what seemed like a short amount of time.

I know I said that our newsletter would go out by last evening, but we just didn't get that far. There was too much to do and by the time we got everything on the site, I was too tired and it was just too late.

But all is not lost. Today is another day. I awoke today to the sun shining brightly and I can hear the chirping of the birds. It appears that we dodged yet again another band of snow that was supposed to hit our area. At least that is what they predicted over the weekend. Even though it was dark and dreary yesterday and there was lots of rain, we are getting forecasts for sunshine for the next several days. It makes me feel happier already.

So for today's post, I will show you a couple additional things that are now available at the site. Then it is off here to write our newsletter and get it sent out.

Keith has another new set of word art plaques that he thinks you will all like:

Brown Drink Font Wood Poster


His SLDK665 Behold, Believe and Blessed set is a great value, as you get all three patterns as shown. Not only do they look nice as a vignette, as shown here, but also individually, as well. They make a nice addition to the extensive collection of word art patterns we offer.

I also have another new wood surface I will be offering. Lately, I have been cutting lots of custom pieces for my woodworking colleagues. I love doing this and working with other talented designers. It gives me a chance to do a bit more woodworking and I love seeing the different, unique designs.

This time I am working with the very talented Kerry Anderson and cutting a set of wooden key ornaments she called "Send in the Clowns":

Font Art Event Happy Fictional character


I have shown Kerry's artwork here before and I just love her unique style and designs. She will be posting the pattern for this project in her ETSY store soon. The wooden key cutouts are available HER on my site: SLDPK142 Send in the Clowns wood kit. You can find her on Etsy at KerryAndersonArtwork and see all of her other work as well. She has some great stuff.

And finally, for this update, I want my painting followers to know that I have changed the free painting pattern on the site. I decided to share my project for painting on real skates using DecoArt Acrylic paint and Margot Clark's MUD texture paste.

Footwear Walking shoe Sneakers Outdoor shoe Sportswear


This fun project offers lots of basic techniques for painting on skates and is fast and fun and something that I think you will enjoy. You can access it on our Free Patterns and Resouces page on our site, as well as a free articles, videos and a free scroll sawing pattern as well. You can also download our two catalogs from that page to see all of our designs in one place.

Well - that is about all for today. It is off to write the newsletter for me. (If you don't subscribe, you can do so HERE.) As soon as that is done, I can continue working on some of the other designs I have been showing you these past couple of weeks. I always have several on the go and I get excited about each and every one of them.

I hope you are all experiencing some bright sun as we are. It makes all the difference in how we feel. Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

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#12,584 ·
Site Update - Take 2

Yesterday was one of those days when I felt as if I was running in circles. It wasn't bad at all, but there were just a lot of things on our plates and we were trying to accomplish a great deal in what seemed like a short amount of time.

I know I said that our newsletter would go out by last evening, but we just didn't get that far. There was too much to do and by the time we got everything on the site, I was too tired and it was just too late.

But all is not lost. Today is another day. I awoke today to the sun shining brightly and I can hear the chirping of the birds. It appears that we dodged yet again another band of snow that was supposed to hit our area. At least that is what they predicted over the weekend. Even though it was dark and dreary yesterday and there was lots of rain, we are getting forecasts for sunshine for the next several days. It makes me feel happier already.

So for today's post, I will show you a couple additional things that are now available at the site. Then it is off here to write our newsletter and get it sent out.

Keith has another new set of word art plaques that he thinks you will all like:

Brown Drink Font Wood Poster


His SLDK665 Behold, Believe and Blessed set is a great value, as you get all three patterns as shown. Not only do they look nice as a vignette, as shown here, but also individually, as well. They make a nice addition to the extensive collection of word art patterns we offer.

I also have another new wood surface I will be offering. Lately, I have been cutting lots of custom pieces for my woodworking colleagues. I love doing this and working with other talented designers. It gives me a chance to do a bit more woodworking and I love seeing the different, unique designs.

This time I am working with the very talented Kerry Anderson and cutting a set of wooden key ornaments she called "Send in the Clowns":

Font Art Event Happy Fictional character


I have shown Kerry's artwork here before and I just love her unique style and designs. She will be posting the pattern for this project in her ETSY store soon. The wooden key cutouts are available HER on my site: SLDPK142 Send in the Clowns wood kit. You can find her on Etsy at KerryAndersonArtwork and see all of her other work as well. She has some great stuff.

And finally, for this update, I want my painting followers to know that I have changed the free painting pattern on the site. I decided to share my project for painting on real skates using DecoArt Acrylic paint and Margot Clark's MUD texture paste.

Footwear Walking shoe Sneakers Outdoor shoe Sportswear


This fun project offers lots of basic techniques for painting on skates and is fast and fun and something that I think you will enjoy. You can access it on our Free Patterns and Resouces page on our site, as well as a free articles, videos and a free scroll sawing pattern as well. You can also download our two catalogs from that page to see all of our designs in one place.

Well - that is about all for today. It is off to write the newsletter for me. (If you don't subscribe, you can do so HERE.) As soon as that is done, I can continue working on some of the other designs I have been showing you these past couple of weeks. I always have several on the go and I get excited about each and every one of them.

I hope you are all experiencing some bright sun as we are. It makes all the difference in how we feel. Happy Wednesday to you all!
Your post always brings sunshine to all of us Sheila.
 

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#12,586 ·
Working for the Weekend

A usual, my life has been quite busy. I suppose that is the result of having so many creative interests. I often am asked how I come up with my ideas and if I ever get 'dry' where I feel that I am against the wall. In all honesty, I do have my lulls in certain areas of my design work, but since I have so many avenues that I actively pursue, there is rarely, if ever a time when I feel that I have 'nothing to do' creatively. If I am feeling especially uncreative - which rarely occurs - I hop on Pinterest or jump into an online class to advance my learning techniques. That usually gets me moving agian. They don't even have to be full courses that I pay for. YouTube is loaded with lots and lots of free tutorials and classes in a variety of techniques from painting to watercolor to embroidery and woodworking. If I really want to do something, it is all right there in front of me. I don't think I could ever be 'bored'.

With that said, I have a really busy weekend ahead of me. There are several directions that I can go in and every one of them will be fun. :)

Last week I had a large order for my SLDPK129 Elegant Bevel Cut Ornaments again. The sales on these have been wonderfully steady since I introduced them at the beginning of the year. These are the ornaments that I use for painting Lynne Andrews' 12 Days of Christmas project (from her book Christmas Blessings) and I understand that an ENTIRE CHAPTER of painters from the Society of Decorative Painters is going to be painting the project! I am thrilled about this and so happy that so many are enjoying this lovely project. I have started on my "Day 5" ornaments, as well as a little side project using Lynne's design, which I will show in a minute. I plan to get the bulk of this order cut in the next few days to ship out early next week. It is a lot of cutting, but I already am lining up my music that I will listen to while in my "happy place" at the saw. It will be a lot of fun.

Speaking of scroll sawing . . .

I bet my woodworking followers thought that I have been forgetting about them? Absolutely NOT! I have been working on a series of patterns that I believe they are really going to like. Since so many people ask us for custom designs, I had the brainstorm idea that perhaps I would offer a line of patterns that would allow them to "Mix and Match" elements to make their own unique designs. Intriguer? I hope so!

While it may take a little while to get enough to 'launch' this series, rest assured that I am hard at work on making my idea a reality. As with any new idea though, I want to think things through and I am figuring out the best way to market and package these designs so that they make the most sense and that you, my customers, will have the most versatility with them. I already decided that I will be selling them under the name of Sheila Landry Design Elements (SLDE) and each pattern will have several usable options that you can mix and match. Below is an example of some of the designs that I have been drawing for them:

Bird Vertebrate White Organism Beak


This is only part of the one pattern of "Robins" that will be in the series. Stay tuned to my blog here for more information on these fun designs. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Another great thing happened yesterday. . .

I received my stencils from Sandy Warner McTier of Sandy McTier Designs.

Blue Azure Textile Font Blue and white porcelain


These amazing designs are the result of a collaboration of two of my favorite designers - Sandy McTier and Tracy Moreau. I have loved both Sandy'sk and Tracy's work for so long and I am thrilled that these two ladies partnered up to create these beautiful stencils! The stencils are each 6" x 6" in diameter, making them perfect sized for cards, plaques and backgrounds. I have immediate plans for using some of these for some of the designs I am currently working on. I will be showing more of them very soon. You can buy each of the stencils individually or purchase the entire set of 12 new stencils here. (I couldn't resist getting them ALL!) I think my woodworking followers will love them as well!

With all that to do, you would think my weekend would be full.

Well . . . not really . . .

I mentioned that I was working on my "Day 5" ornaments from the 12 Days series. When I saw the Day 5 snowman, I just fell in love with him! I think he is my favorite of all the 12 days characters. So what I decided to do was "super size" him on my SLDPK134 Snowflake Beveled Plaque/Tray surface:

Tableware Dishware Wood Serveware Plate


The plaque is about 8" in diameter and will show this chilly fella off so nicely! I only got him half done last night, but I will hopefully finish him over the weekend:

Art Creative arts Font Circle Jewellery


The cool thing about Lynne's designs is that they are so detailed that they look just beautiful even super-sized! I may make several of these plaques using some of the other 12-Days ornament patterns as well!

So as you see, my weekend will be full of fun and creativity. Keith always says that my "time off looks a lot like my work time." I think he is right, but since I just LOVE what I do, it never feels like I am working! No wonder I am happy most of the time! :)

I wish you all a wonderful weekend ahead. Here in Nova Scotia it is still cool, but bright and sunny out. It is a beautiful day and the weekend promises more of the same weather. I can't help but be happy.

Happy Friday to you all! I hope you all find your inspiration and joy in whatever you do!

I'll see you on Monday . . .
 

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#12,587 ·
Working for the Weekend

A usual, my life has been quite busy. I suppose that is the result of having so many creative interests. I often am asked how I come up with my ideas and if I ever get 'dry' where I feel that I am against the wall. In all honesty, I do have my lulls in certain areas of my design work, but since I have so many avenues that I actively pursue, there is rarely, if ever a time when I feel that I have 'nothing to do' creatively. If I am feeling especially uncreative - which rarely occurs - I hop on Pinterest or jump into an online class to advance my learning techniques. That usually gets me moving agian. They don't even have to be full courses that I pay for. YouTube is loaded with lots and lots of free tutorials and classes in a variety of techniques from painting to watercolor to embroidery and woodworking. If I really want to do something, it is all right there in front of me. I don't think I could ever be 'bored'.

With that said, I have a really busy weekend ahead of me. There are several directions that I can go in and every one of them will be fun. :)

Last week I had a large order for my SLDPK129 Elegant Bevel Cut Ornaments again. The sales on these have been wonderfully steady since I introduced them at the beginning of the year. These are the ornaments that I use for painting Lynne Andrews' 12 Days of Christmas project (from her book Christmas Blessings) and I understand that an ENTIRE CHAPTER of painters from the Society of Decorative Painters is going to be painting the project! I am thrilled about this and so happy that so many are enjoying this lovely project. I have started on my "Day 5" ornaments, as well as a little side project using Lynne's design, which I will show in a minute. I plan to get the bulk of this order cut in the next few days to ship out early next week. It is a lot of cutting, but I already am lining up my music that I will listen to while in my "happy place" at the saw. It will be a lot of fun.

Speaking of scroll sawing . . .

I bet my woodworking followers thought that I have been forgetting about them? Absolutely NOT! I have been working on a series of patterns that I believe they are really going to like. Since so many people ask us for custom designs, I had the brainstorm idea that perhaps I would offer a line of patterns that would allow them to "Mix and Match" elements to make their own unique designs. Intriguer? I hope so!

While it may take a little while to get enough to 'launch' this series, rest assured that I am hard at work on making my idea a reality. As with any new idea though, I want to think things through and I am figuring out the best way to market and package these designs so that they make the most sense and that you, my customers, will have the most versatility with them. I already decided that I will be selling them under the name of Sheila Landry Design Elements (SLDE) and each pattern will have several usable options that you can mix and match. Below is an example of some of the designs that I have been drawing for them:

Bird Vertebrate White Organism Beak


This is only part of the one pattern of "Robins" that will be in the series. Stay tuned to my blog here for more information on these fun designs. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Another great thing happened yesterday. . .

I received my stencils from Sandy Warner McTier of Sandy McTier Designs.

Blue Azure Textile Font Blue and white porcelain


These amazing designs are the result of a collaboration of two of my favorite designers - Sandy McTier and Tracy Moreau. I have loved both Sandy'sk and Tracy's work for so long and I am thrilled that these two ladies partnered up to create these beautiful stencils! The stencils are each 6" x 6" in diameter, making them perfect sized for cards, plaques and backgrounds. I have immediate plans for using some of these for some of the designs I am currently working on. I will be showing more of them very soon. You can buy each of the stencils individually or purchase the entire set of 12 new stencils here. (I couldn't resist getting them ALL!) I think my woodworking followers will love them as well!

With all that to do, you would think my weekend would be full.

Well . . . not really . . .

I mentioned that I was working on my "Day 5" ornaments from the 12 Days series. When I saw the Day 5 snowman, I just fell in love with him! I think he is my favorite of all the 12 days characters. So what I decided to do was "super size" him on my SLDPK134 Snowflake Beveled Plaque/Tray surface:

Tableware Dishware Wood Serveware Plate


The plaque is about 8" in diameter and will show this chilly fella off so nicely! I only got him half done last night, but I will hopefully finish him over the weekend:

Art Creative arts Font Circle Jewellery


The cool thing about Lynne's designs is that they are so detailed that they look just beautiful even super-sized! I may make several of these plaques using some of the other 12-Days ornament patterns as well!

So as you see, my weekend will be full of fun and creativity. Keith always says that my "time off looks a lot like my work time." I think he is right, but since I just LOVE what I do, it never feels like I am working! No wonder I am happy most of the time! :)

I wish you all a wonderful weekend ahead. Here in Nova Scotia it is still cool, but bright and sunny out. It is a beautiful day and the weekend promises more of the same weather. I can't help but be happy.

Happy Friday to you all! I hope you all find your inspiration and joy in whatever you do!

I'll see you on Monday . . .
Your design elements projects sounds very intriguing! Looking forward to seeing the launch of that design. Your plaque is looking great. Happy scrolling over the weekend!
 

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#12,589 ·
Thinking Outside the Box

I hope you had a good weekend. Here in Nova Scotia, we are finally seeing some lasting signs of spring. While it is still cool out, it has been pleasant and sunny, and I dare say that the snow is behind us and I don't expect we will see any additional snow until late autumn. (You all know what an optimist I am though!)

I had a full weekend myself. It felt good to focus and accomplish as much as I did. I a large order, as well as some smaller ones that I have been working on and over Friday and Saturday I got just about everything cut (for the moment!) When I look at the pile in front of me, I am pretty pleased with it. It looks good sitting there altogether.

White Wood Circle Event Dishware


The things in the front are sanded, but the piles of ornaments in the background (18 dozen of them) still need some sanding done on them. I plan on doing that today, as well as boxing them up and shipping them out perhaps tomorrow. It will be great to check that one off of the books. :)

On Sunday, I actually had some time to do some things for myself. I did a quick cleaning of the house (which I do in between scrolling sessions anyway - so that wasn't hard) and I made a really scrumptious pork roast dinner and had Keith's mom come to visit. She is having knee surgery later this week (I won't be here for a few days) and it was nice to sit and spend the afternoon and evening with her. The kitties wanted to wish her well, too. It was a good, relaxing day.

While we visited, I managed to finish up my project using my SLDPK134 Snowflake Beveled Plaque Surface and Lynne Andrew's design from her 12 Days of Christmas book - Christmas Blessings.

The "Day 5" Snowman from the 12 Days series was my favorite, and the moment I saw him, I know I wanted to paint him as a stand-alone project. I had started it last Thursday night and had shown the photo in a previous post:

Art Creative arts Font Circle Jewellery


I absolutely love the colors that Lynne used for this piece. I am so happy with how it turned out:

Tableware Table Dishware Textile Cup


But instead of the "Five Golden Rings" for the snowman to hold, I had another idea . . .

Hand Eyelash Art Wrist Jewellery


I decided to use five metal charms that I had that would look wonderful! I suppose I could have painted them on, too, but I was a bit lazy and I like the additional dimension it added to the piece. Even "Inspector Pancakes" seemed to like them! (he kept trying to eat the charms!) ;)

Felidae Cat Carnivore Whiskers Fawn


He really looks rather nice, and with the snowflakes, I can keep him out all winter long! :)

Bird Organism Art Pattern Creative arts


Finger Creative arts Nail Material property Circle


So now it is on to going back to my '12 days' ornaments. But I have a couple of weeks to complete day 5 so I can ship them out and keep on schedule.

I hope this post inspires you to "think outside the box" when it comes to your crafting. Each pattern holds so much possibility! Most designers that I know LOVE to see when people use their design in different ways. It is something that we feel good about and since most of us are teachers, it makes us feel good about what we do. I have seen people use my patterns in ways I would have never imagined and it is thrilling for me to see.

It is a new week ahead and it already looks like it will be a busy one. I wish you all a wonderful and creative day today. May you find joy in all you do!

Happy Monday!
 

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#12,590 ·
Thinking Outside the Box

I hope you had a good weekend. Here in Nova Scotia, we are finally seeing some lasting signs of spring. While it is still cool out, it has been pleasant and sunny, and I dare say that the snow is behind us and I don't expect we will see any additional snow until late autumn. (You all know what an optimist I am though!)

I had a full weekend myself. It felt good to focus and accomplish as much as I did. I a large order, as well as some smaller ones that I have been working on and over Friday and Saturday I got just about everything cut (for the moment!) When I look at the pile in front of me, I am pretty pleased with it. It looks good sitting there altogether.

White Wood Circle Event Dishware


The things in the front are sanded, but the piles of ornaments in the background (18 dozen of them) still need some sanding done on them. I plan on doing that today, as well as boxing them up and shipping them out perhaps tomorrow. It will be great to check that one off of the books. :)

On Sunday, I actually had some time to do some things for myself. I did a quick cleaning of the house (which I do in between scrolling sessions anyway - so that wasn't hard) and I made a really scrumptious pork roast dinner and had Keith's mom come to visit. She is having knee surgery later this week (I won't be here for a few days) and it was nice to sit and spend the afternoon and evening with her. The kitties wanted to wish her well, too. It was a good, relaxing day.

While we visited, I managed to finish up my project using my SLDPK134 Snowflake Beveled Plaque Surface and Lynne Andrew's design from her 12 Days of Christmas book - Christmas Blessings.

The "Day 5" Snowman from the 12 Days series was my favorite, and the moment I saw him, I know I wanted to paint him as a stand-alone project. I had started it last Thursday night and had shown the photo in a previous post:

Art Creative arts Font Circle Jewellery


I absolutely love the colors that Lynne used for this piece. I am so happy with how it turned out:

Tableware Table Dishware Textile Cup


But instead of the "Five Golden Rings" for the snowman to hold, I had another idea . . .

Hand Eyelash Art Wrist Jewellery


I decided to use five metal charms that I had that would look wonderful! I suppose I could have painted them on, too, but I was a bit lazy and I like the additional dimension it added to the piece. Even "Inspector Pancakes" seemed to like them! (he kept trying to eat the charms!) ;)

Felidae Cat Carnivore Whiskers Fawn


He really looks rather nice, and with the snowflakes, I can keep him out all winter long! :)

Bird Organism Art Pattern Creative arts


Finger Creative arts Nail Material property Circle


So now it is on to going back to my '12 days' ornaments. But I have a couple of weeks to complete day 5 so I can ship them out and keep on schedule.

I hope this post inspires you to "think outside the box" when it comes to your crafting. Each pattern holds so much possibility! Most designers that I know LOVE to see when people use their design in different ways. It is something that we feel good about and since most of us are teachers, it makes us feel good about what we do. I have seen people use my patterns in ways I would have never imagined and it is thrilling for me to see.

It is a new week ahead and it already looks like it will be a busy one. I wish you all a wonderful and creative day today. May you find joy in all you do!

Happy Monday!
I love the giant ornament. It looks really good!

Can you share what you would paint on the sheep and the bee hive? I like the shapes but don't know what you would do with them.
 

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#12,594 ·
. . . "I'll be back . . . "

I am writing quick today because there is much to do. I am finishing up some new orders that came in yesterday and trying to get them out by tomorrow. I will be absent from social media for a few days because we will be heading out of town for a couple of days while Keith's mom has her knee surgery. We will try to stop in when we can, and orders may be delayed a bit longer than usual, but I know that you all understand. We should return by the end of the week and everything will once again be 'normal'.

Thanks to you all for understanding! Here is a picture of Pancakes to make you smile! :D

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


I will miss ALL of my babies! xoxox ((Oh - and you all as well! xo)

Happy Tuesday!
 

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#12,595 ·
. . . "I'll be back . . . "

I am writing quick today because there is much to do. I am finishing up some new orders that came in yesterday and trying to get them out by tomorrow. I will be absent from social media for a few days because we will be heading out of town for a couple of days while Keith's mom has her knee surgery. We will try to stop in when we can, and orders may be delayed a bit longer than usual, but I know that you all understand. We should return by the end of the week and everything will once again be 'normal'.

Thanks to you all for understanding! Here is a picture of Pancakes to make you smile! :D

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


I will miss ALL of my babies! xoxox ((Oh - and you all as well! xo)

Happy Tuesday!
Good morning Sheila. I hope that everything goes well with Keith's mother. Six years ago, I had a complete knee replacement done and it was the best thing I had done. The secret is the p.t.
Rick
 

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#12,602 ·
Checking In

It seems that lately I haven't been here very much (blogging, I mean.) Even though I have felt that I am busier than ever, Between starting off the year with a tremendous amount of orders, getting sick for a couple of weeks and then 'catching up' with things, I have felt very much out of my regular routine. I don't know if that is a bad thing or a good thing, as I am still accomplishing a lot, but just not in the usual places.

Add to that we are planning to move in several weeks. While the move won't occur until the final weeks of June or the beginning of July, we have so much planning to do that it has been taking quite a bit time to plan, shop and get things ready for the change. Even though it is only about a kilometer away, it will be a huge change for us. We will still be right near the beautiful Meteghan river and in the same neighborhood, which is wonderful, but we will move our little business from a one bedroom apartment to a full house with probably four times the room PLUS a huge, two story barn which we will be able to use for storage and eventually for a shop. The potential is tremendous.

I think that I am most excited that I will be able to have my own "studio". I know that sounds "La-de-da" but having a room to call my own is something that I have always longed for. Even when growing up, I spent most of my years sharing my room with my sister. Ironically, soon after my parents finished an addition on our house and I moved into my own room, I left for university and only was able to enjoy my personal space occasionally when I came home on break. Such is life . . .

My room at the new place is about 12' x 12' in diameter, with the staircase on the side making it look even larger. It is on the front corner of the house and has a large front window and one at the side, making it extremely bright and cheerful. The floors are beautiful birch and it has two lovely glass pane French doors which lead to the main living area which I can close for quiet and privacy. I admit that I have been spending a good amount of time browsing online for furniture that will be both functional and beautiful as well as provide storage for my supplies and things that I am working with. It has truly been a lot of fun.

I pretty much have everything I want picked out though now and it is time once again to get back to other things that are pressing. I have so many designs in my head in so many different types of media that I can hardly decide which direction to head first. I have painting designs as well as my scrolling designs that are already 'in progress'. I also have designs for some embroidery kits that I really want to see come to reality. Then there are the wood orders that have been a mainstay for my business this year. I can't help to think how wonderful it will be to have a designated place to cut wood and do woodworking. Many of you may not know that I currently do this all in my kitchen. It is quite the process both before and after each session to keep things clean and neat. What a luxury (AND time-saver!) it will be to be able to walk into a room and just start cutting! It will save me literally hours of work and clean-up time!

Yes - good things lie ahead for us!

My mother-in-law's surgery went well last week. Everything went as planned and we are very releaved to say that she is home and well on her way to recovery. She had her knee replaced and now she is in the midst of the physical therapy that typically follows this type of thing. She did well before the surgery, preparing herself completely and exercising and even losing a bit of weight. We are really proud of her! I plan on being with her tomorrow, so I doubt that I will blog then, as we need to leave here early. I am going to bring some work with to her place and see how much I can get done there. We shall see.

There is part of me that misses posting every day. I wonder if that isn't why I feel a bit unorganized in my thoughts and work. I can't tell if I am a bit out of kilter because I haven't been blogging or if I haven't been blogging because I am a bit out of kilter. Maybe just a little bit of both. One thing that I am certain of though is that there are going to be a lot of wonderful things to come. I ask that you all have faith in me and keep checking back. I am surely going to get back on track and get back into the habit of posting every day again. I can assure you of that. Perhaps it is just a time for me to break away for a little and focus on other things for a while. I feel that is the right thing to do.

With that said, I do want to show you a new pattern that Keith created and posted to the site.

Brown Product Rectangle Handwriting Textile


This is SLDK667 - "JOY" - Jesus First plaque and is another lovely addition to his beautiful word art plaques. I hope you like it.

In closing today, I want to thank you all for your wonderful notes and well-wishes for Keith's mom. (Dianne) We all appreciate so much that you are thinking of us and while I miss visiting with many of you online, I know it is a temporary situation and soon I will be back. Sometimes life calls us to other directions.

Have a wonderful day and a great week ahead. Remember each day is what you make it. We have more control over our lives than we may realize.

Happy Monday to you!
 

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#12,603 ·
Checking In

It seems that lately I haven't been here very much (blogging, I mean.) Even though I have felt that I am busier than ever, Between starting off the year with a tremendous amount of orders, getting sick for a couple of weeks and then 'catching up' with things, I have felt very much out of my regular routine. I don't know if that is a bad thing or a good thing, as I am still accomplishing a lot, but just not in the usual places.

Add to that we are planning to move in several weeks. While the move won't occur until the final weeks of June or the beginning of July, we have so much planning to do that it has been taking quite a bit time to plan, shop and get things ready for the change. Even though it is only about a kilometer away, it will be a huge change for us. We will still be right near the beautiful Meteghan river and in the same neighborhood, which is wonderful, but we will move our little business from a one bedroom apartment to a full house with probably four times the room PLUS a huge, two story barn which we will be able to use for storage and eventually for a shop. The potential is tremendous.

I think that I am most excited that I will be able to have my own "studio". I know that sounds "La-de-da" but having a room to call my own is something that I have always longed for. Even when growing up, I spent most of my years sharing my room with my sister. Ironically, soon after my parents finished an addition on our house and I moved into my own room, I left for university and only was able to enjoy my personal space occasionally when I came home on break. Such is life . . .

My room at the new place is about 12' x 12' in diameter, with the staircase on the side making it look even larger. It is on the front corner of the house and has a large front window and one at the side, making it extremely bright and cheerful. The floors are beautiful birch and it has two lovely glass pane French doors which lead to the main living area which I can close for quiet and privacy. I admit that I have been spending a good amount of time browsing online for furniture that will be both functional and beautiful as well as provide storage for my supplies and things that I am working with. It has truly been a lot of fun.

I pretty much have everything I want picked out though now and it is time once again to get back to other things that are pressing. I have so many designs in my head in so many different types of media that I can hardly decide which direction to head first. I have painting designs as well as my scrolling designs that are already 'in progress'. I also have designs for some embroidery kits that I really want to see come to reality. Then there are the wood orders that have been a mainstay for my business this year. I can't help to think how wonderful it will be to have a designated place to cut wood and do woodworking. Many of you may not know that I currently do this all in my kitchen. It is quite the process both before and after each session to keep things clean and neat. What a luxury (AND time-saver!) it will be to be able to walk into a room and just start cutting! It will save me literally hours of work and clean-up time!

Yes - good things lie ahead for us!

My mother-in-law's surgery went well last week. Everything went as planned and we are very releaved to say that she is home and well on her way to recovery. She had her knee replaced and now she is in the midst of the physical therapy that typically follows this type of thing. She did well before the surgery, preparing herself completely and exercising and even losing a bit of weight. We are really proud of her! I plan on being with her tomorrow, so I doubt that I will blog then, as we need to leave here early. I am going to bring some work with to her place and see how much I can get done there. We shall see.

There is part of me that misses posting every day. I wonder if that isn't why I feel a bit unorganized in my thoughts and work. I can't tell if I am a bit out of kilter because I haven't been blogging or if I haven't been blogging because I am a bit out of kilter. Maybe just a little bit of both. One thing that I am certain of though is that there are going to be a lot of wonderful things to come. I ask that you all have faith in me and keep checking back. I am surely going to get back on track and get back into the habit of posting every day again. I can assure you of that. Perhaps it is just a time for me to break away for a little and focus on other things for a while. I feel that is the right thing to do.

With that said, I do want to show you a new pattern that Keith created and posted to the site.

Brown Product Rectangle Handwriting Textile


This is SLDK667 - "JOY" - Jesus First plaque and is another lovely addition to his beautiful word art plaques. I hope you like it.

In closing today, I want to thank you all for your wonderful notes and well-wishes for Keith's mom. (Dianne) We all appreciate so much that you are thinking of us and while I miss visiting with many of you online, I know it is a temporary situation and soon I will be back. Sometimes life calls us to other directions.

Have a wonderful day and a great week ahead. Remember each day is what you make it. We have more control over our lives than we may realize.

Happy Monday to you!
Really good news about Keith's Mom!!!
As for the upcoming move, and your own Studio, I couldn't be happier for you both. Looks like quite a busy time ahead, but what a reward when all is moved in.
Looking forward to seeing how it works out for you.
Main thing . . . Enjoy the move! ;)
 

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#12,608 ·
Creating Every Day

OK. It may appear that I have been 'slacking'.

Between cutting mountains of ornaments, having a cold/flu for a couple of weeks, and having some family things to take care of, it may seem that I have somewhat fallen out of the habit of posting here each day.

There may be some merit to that, as it is no secret that I haven't been here every day as I have for the last several years, but that doesn't really mean that I am not creating. I just try my best to keep my posts here relevant to some sort of creating and I fear that showing piles of cut ornaments over and over may bore some of you. Funny how we start to filter ourselves like that. . .

I said from the beginning of this blog, some 1700+ posts ago that I would not only blog on woodworking, but also the other creative aspects of my life. Since then - over six years ago - I have not only increased my productivity, but also the scope of my creative endeavors. It makes for a wonderfully fun and interesting life.

One thing that I figured out is that it is rare that a person does only one type of creating. My friends and customers often are a lot like me in that they dabble in many different types of media and love to discover new ways to feed their creative souls. When I began blogging on Lumberjocks.com (a woodworking site) I chose the name for my blog "My Journey as a Scroll Saw Pattern Designer" because that was my main focus. But as the years passed and I branched out to other aspects of creating, I sometimes feel that the title is somewhat misleading on all sides, and should be a bit more encompassing as to all the types of things that I design and make. But that isn't always easy to do. I have to think about it.

As I find myself not posting as much due to the things I mentioned at the beginning, I am also seeing a surprising, albeit slight drop in my own production. I often mention that sharing things here in public with you all isn't only for you - but it helps me sort, focus and keep on track for myself which is something that is of the utmost importance when one is self- employed. It is to me, anyway. So I will try to do my best to stop in here each and every day during the week at least to keep you posted on what I am doing, no matter how 'mundane' it may seem to me at the time. As always, you can skim over that post if it doesn't interest you. But hopefully you will see a little flicker of inspiration in it or it will encourage you to do some things on your own. I hope so, anyway.

This week started off with a bang for me. On Monday I slightly injured my footie while at the gym. I won't trouble you with the photos, but long story short - I dropped a 45 lb weight square on the top of my foot. You can bet I did some 'dancing' and saw constellations that I never thought existed. It swelled terribly initially and I thought surely it would require a trip to the hospital. But it 'settled down' and I iced it and it actually is feeling pretty good today. I can walk normally without any pain and while it is sore on the top and slightly puffy, nothing is broken and I am fine. All is well again.

I spent yesterday with Keith's mom for the day. She needs round the clock company (precaution) for the first 10 days after her surgery, although she is doing splendid. The pre-op exercises she did for the past months really seem to be paying off, as she is cruising around with her walker faster than I have ever seen her move. What a great success story that is!

I brought some things to work on while I was there for the day, as she is a crafter as well and we always like to create together. So I will show you my progress to inspire you and let you know that all is not lost with me. I AM still working on stuff and I have lots to share with you in the near future. You are going to love the new ideas I have! (I HOPE!)

Over the weekend, I created these cute ladybug toys for my cats. I used my lovely Valdani threads and black wool and used some wonderfully colorful pure wool felt that I got on Etsy from Bear Dance Crafts.

Finger Creative arts Art Headgear Red


The bodies are filled with catnip and the head has a bell in it. The wings are sewn on freely from the body to add interest and so far the cats love them. Richard already gave his toy a "drink" (SIGH!) which to him is the mark of 'acceptance'. They were fun, fast, and a relaxing project to make.

Yesterday I did some work on my 12 Days ornaments by Lynne Andrews. This is the beginning of "Day 5" for me, which is my favorite. I can't wait to show you all how cool they are!

Dishware Drinkware Wood Serveware Tableware


I invite you to join our Facebook group "12 Days of Christmas Ornaments - We are Making Them!" You can join as a participant, as we are doing this at our own pace, or join us as an observer (who I like to refer to as a "cheerleader") to see the beautiful variations that everyone is doing on this lovely design. We are having fun and personally, I have made many new wonderfully creative friends through the group. It is great to surround yourself with other creative and positive people. It sure helps to make life happy.

I also worked on my new embroidery sampler designs by Di VanNiekerk. You may recall that last year I did a beautiful sampler that Di designed called "A Perfect World". You can see the photos of that result here in my Picasa Album.

This one I call "Every Flower Has a Soul" and I am working on Panel 4:

Plant Flower Textile Purple Creative arts


I learned a new stitch for the red Hollyhocks yesterday. I didn't think I could do it, but I tried and it looks pretty nice:

Plant Textile Rectangle Creative arts Art


I got a bit better as I worked on it. The stitch that I learned was a "Cast On" stitch that I used to make the circular flowers. I am proud of that.

I love the texture and colors of Stumpwork and Ribbon embroidery. It is truly relaxing for me and I hope to create my own kits to sell soon.

Textile Creative arts Plant Art Rectangle


So you see, even though I have been lazy posting, I have not been idle. I still have more things to show with stencils, watercolors, pencils, paints, woodworking and other media that I have been playing with. I just need to keep things organized and work efficiently to get everything out here to you. That is where this blog helps me so much!

Thank you to all who follow me regularly. Welcome to those of you who are new. I hope you come back often and comment too with your own thoughts and ideas. I think that by sharing out thoughts on creating and crafting, it helps us enjoy what we do even more.

I saw this quote on Facebook today and I wanted to share it.

Water Atmosphere Sky World Light


I thought it was worth sharing.

Have a beautiful Wednesday and enjoy all that the day brings to you! You will be much happier for it!

Until tomorrow . . .
 

Attachments

#12,609 ·
Creating Every Day

OK. It may appear that I have been 'slacking'.

Between cutting mountains of ornaments, having a cold/flu for a couple of weeks, and having some family things to take care of, it may seem that I have somewhat fallen out of the habit of posting here each day.

There may be some merit to that, as it is no secret that I haven't been here every day as I have for the last several years, but that doesn't really mean that I am not creating. I just try my best to keep my posts here relevant to some sort of creating and I fear that showing piles of cut ornaments over and over may bore some of you. Funny how we start to filter ourselves like that. . .

I said from the beginning of this blog, some 1700+ posts ago that I would not only blog on woodworking, but also the other creative aspects of my life. Since then - over six years ago - I have not only increased my productivity, but also the scope of my creative endeavors. It makes for a wonderfully fun and interesting life.

One thing that I figured out is that it is rare that a person does only one type of creating. My friends and customers often are a lot like me in that they dabble in many different types of media and love to discover new ways to feed their creative souls. When I began blogging on Lumberjocks.com (a woodworking site) I chose the name for my blog "My Journey as a Scroll Saw Pattern Designer" because that was my main focus. But as the years passed and I branched out to other aspects of creating, I sometimes feel that the title is somewhat misleading on all sides, and should be a bit more encompassing as to all the types of things that I design and make. But that isn't always easy to do. I have to think about it.

As I find myself not posting as much due to the things I mentioned at the beginning, I am also seeing a surprising, albeit slight drop in my own production. I often mention that sharing things here in public with you all isn't only for you - but it helps me sort, focus and keep on track for myself which is something that is of the utmost importance when one is self- employed. It is to me, anyway. So I will try to do my best to stop in here each and every day during the week at least to keep you posted on what I am doing, no matter how 'mundane' it may seem to me at the time. As always, you can skim over that post if it doesn't interest you. But hopefully you will see a little flicker of inspiration in it or it will encourage you to do some things on your own. I hope so, anyway.

This week started off with a bang for me. On Monday I slightly injured my footie while at the gym. I won't trouble you with the photos, but long story short - I dropped a 45 lb weight square on the top of my foot. You can bet I did some 'dancing' and saw constellations that I never thought existed. It swelled terribly initially and I thought surely it would require a trip to the hospital. But it 'settled down' and I iced it and it actually is feeling pretty good today. I can walk normally without any pain and while it is sore on the top and slightly puffy, nothing is broken and I am fine. All is well again.

I spent yesterday with Keith's mom for the day. She needs round the clock company (precaution) for the first 10 days after her surgery, although she is doing splendid. The pre-op exercises she did for the past months really seem to be paying off, as she is cruising around with her walker faster than I have ever seen her move. What a great success story that is!

I brought some things to work on while I was there for the day, as she is a crafter as well and we always like to create together. So I will show you my progress to inspire you and let you know that all is not lost with me. I AM still working on stuff and I have lots to share with you in the near future. You are going to love the new ideas I have! (I HOPE!)

Over the weekend, I created these cute ladybug toys for my cats. I used my lovely Valdani threads and black wool and used some wonderfully colorful pure wool felt that I got on Etsy from Bear Dance Crafts.

Finger Creative arts Art Headgear Red


The bodies are filled with catnip and the head has a bell in it. The wings are sewn on freely from the body to add interest and so far the cats love them. Richard already gave his toy a "drink" (SIGH!) which to him is the mark of 'acceptance'. They were fun, fast, and a relaxing project to make.

Yesterday I did some work on my 12 Days ornaments by Lynne Andrews. This is the beginning of "Day 5" for me, which is my favorite. I can't wait to show you all how cool they are!

Dishware Drinkware Wood Serveware Tableware


I invite you to join our Facebook group "12 Days of Christmas Ornaments - We are Making Them!" You can join as a participant, as we are doing this at our own pace, or join us as an observer (who I like to refer to as a "cheerleader") to see the beautiful variations that everyone is doing on this lovely design. We are having fun and personally, I have made many new wonderfully creative friends through the group. It is great to surround yourself with other creative and positive people. It sure helps to make life happy.

I also worked on my new embroidery sampler designs by Di VanNiekerk. You may recall that last year I did a beautiful sampler that Di designed called "A Perfect World". You can see the photos of that result here in my Picasa Album.

This one I call "Every Flower Has a Soul" and I am working on Panel 4:

Plant Flower Textile Purple Creative arts


I learned a new stitch for the red Hollyhocks yesterday. I didn't think I could do it, but I tried and it looks pretty nice:

Plant Textile Rectangle Creative arts Art


I got a bit better as I worked on it. The stitch that I learned was a "Cast On" stitch that I used to make the circular flowers. I am proud of that.

I love the texture and colors of Stumpwork and Ribbon embroidery. It is truly relaxing for me and I hope to create my own kits to sell soon.

Textile Creative arts Plant Art Rectangle


So you see, even though I have been lazy posting, I have not been idle. I still have more things to show with stencils, watercolors, pencils, paints, woodworking and other media that I have been playing with. I just need to keep things organized and work efficiently to get everything out here to you. That is where this blog helps me so much!

Thank you to all who follow me regularly. Welcome to those of you who are new. I hope you come back often and comment too with your own thoughts and ideas. I think that by sharing out thoughts on creating and crafting, it helps us enjoy what we do even more.

I saw this quote on Facebook today and I wanted to share it.

Water Atmosphere Sky World Light


I thought it was worth sharing.

Have a beautiful Wednesday and enjoy all that the day brings to you! You will be much happier for it!

Until tomorrow . . .
I look forward to reading your blog every morning with my coffee as this is a quiet time before the day starts. It helps me seeing someone doing all the creating that you do. It seems as though by the time I get my 96 yr old mother settled for the day and some of the household chores completed (you will notice that I said some) I would be able to do something creative. The years are catching up with me and I go slower that I used to so don't get as much accomplished. I plan every day for some shop time but by the time the necessaries are completed the time has passed. Don't mean to be complaining as I am doing the care because I want to rather because I have to.
 

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#12,613 ·
More Updates, Sales and a Newsletter

I have so many wonderful plans ahead of me!

As I dream about our new, larger home as well as my very own studio, my head is filled with more ideas than ever. While I am proud of the way we made our business work while living in and working out of a small, one bedroom place, I can't help but feel wonderful that the time here will soon be behind me and both Keith and I will be able to spread our wings and really FLY!

I am hoping that I am not deluding myself into thinking that with more room comes more hours in the day. Perhaps I am just already counting the hours that I will not have to be rearranging and cleaning and be able to walk into our shop and just start WORKING instead of clearing out the kitchen and moving everything out of the way to cut wood, paint or make a video. When I think about it, those hours sure add up. Not only the time taken to prep the area, but also the clean up afterwards. But you "gotta do what you gotta do" and for the past seven years it worked for us. It is just time to close this chapter and begin writing our next. You are all invited along for the journey. Not only do I see more productivity, but also more instructional videos and things like that, as I have so much planned for our future. It is truly exciting.

But we still have two months until we are there, so until then we will plan and draw and dream of our future. What a wonderful place to be in our lives!

We are going to send out a newsletter today, as Keith has some new designs that he put on the site and we have a new pattern for the scroll sawyers. His new SLDK668 Then We Had You sectional plaque pattern is a great way to commemorate family, and has some nice variations to make it personal to your own needs:

Font Rectangle Poster Pattern Label


I really enjoy seeing what Keith comes up with next, as his designs are so wonderfully attractive and classy. He never seems to run out of new ideas!

We also changed the free woodworking pattern on our site. Again, Keith did a splendid job on this pretty plaque that would be wonderfully appropriate for the upcoming Mother's Day holiday:

Brown Rectangle Cloud Wood Pink


For a limited time, you can download it free from our Free Patterns and Resources page. While you are there, I hope you browse around and check out all of our articles and videos and other resources. Lots of folks really find them helpful.

I am going to be writing out a newsletter to mention all the site updates and it will mail out later on today. If you are not on our Mailing List, I invite you to join. We send out about two newsletters per month that lets you know what new products we have and we also (from time to time) offer special promotional codes and discounts for newsletter subscribers only. We never share your information with anyone or SPAM you, and we respect your privacy completely.

Finally today, I want my painting followers to be aware that Art Apprentice Online is running a great promotion on their DecoArt Traditions paint brushes.

Product Brush Line Tool Wood


I absolutely LOVE these brushes and they are really top-notch in quality and performance. I especially love their Dome Blenders, as they are great for blending, dry brushing and even stippling. The angle brushes are also lovely and I am sad to say that the 1/8" angular shader is going to be discontinued. I made sure to stock up on several for my arsenal and I understand from Sue at AAO that there are still some in stock.

The special that they are having is only until midnight tonight (Thursday) and you will receive 30% off ALL your brushes by using the coupon code ALLBRUSHES30 at the checkout. While I understand that you all have to watch your craft budget, I think these are pretty close to the nicest brushes I have used as far as quality. They last a long, long time with proper care and are a beautiful investment. These brushes are made by DecoArt and are yet another one of their amazing products that they create. They always stand behind their products and I know that I am getting quality supplies.

I think that Art Apprentice Online is an extraordinary source for classes, instructions and quality supplies. I have been a fan for years and have learned so much from them. I hoep you head over to their site and see what they have to offer. They have classes for ALL levels - from beginners to advanced painters, and their personal service and online instruction is unsurpassed!

Well, that is about all for today. I am off to write our newsletter. If you subscribe, be expecting it sometime this afternoon.

When I am done with that, I am working on my online class for Interactive Artist Magazine, which is coming along beautifully.

The sun is shining, although it is still cool here in Nova Scotia. Spring is trying very hard. I am home for the day though and I am grateful for the bright and sunny sky. It truly makes the day more cheerful.

I wish you all a wonderful day as well. Happy Thursday to you all! :)
 

Attachments

#12,614 ·
More Updates, Sales and a Newsletter

I have so many wonderful plans ahead of me!

As I dream about our new, larger home as well as my very own studio, my head is filled with more ideas than ever. While I am proud of the way we made our business work while living in and working out of a small, one bedroom place, I can't help but feel wonderful that the time here will soon be behind me and both Keith and I will be able to spread our wings and really FLY!

I am hoping that I am not deluding myself into thinking that with more room comes more hours in the day. Perhaps I am just already counting the hours that I will not have to be rearranging and cleaning and be able to walk into our shop and just start WORKING instead of clearing out the kitchen and moving everything out of the way to cut wood, paint or make a video. When I think about it, those hours sure add up. Not only the time taken to prep the area, but also the clean up afterwards. But you "gotta do what you gotta do" and for the past seven years it worked for us. It is just time to close this chapter and begin writing our next. You are all invited along for the journey. Not only do I see more productivity, but also more instructional videos and things like that, as I have so much planned for our future. It is truly exciting.

But we still have two months until we are there, so until then we will plan and draw and dream of our future. What a wonderful place to be in our lives!

We are going to send out a newsletter today, as Keith has some new designs that he put on the site and we have a new pattern for the scroll sawyers. His new SLDK668 Then We Had You sectional plaque pattern is a great way to commemorate family, and has some nice variations to make it personal to your own needs:

Font Rectangle Poster Pattern Label


I really enjoy seeing what Keith comes up with next, as his designs are so wonderfully attractive and classy. He never seems to run out of new ideas!

We also changed the free woodworking pattern on our site. Again, Keith did a splendid job on this pretty plaque that would be wonderfully appropriate for the upcoming Mother's Day holiday:

Brown Rectangle Cloud Wood Pink


For a limited time, you can download it free from our Free Patterns and Resources page. While you are there, I hope you browse around and check out all of our articles and videos and other resources. Lots of folks really find them helpful.

I am going to be writing out a newsletter to mention all the site updates and it will mail out later on today. If you are not on our Mailing List, I invite you to join. We send out about two newsletters per month that lets you know what new products we have and we also (from time to time) offer special promotional codes and discounts for newsletter subscribers only. We never share your information with anyone or SPAM you, and we respect your privacy completely.

Finally today, I want my painting followers to be aware that Art Apprentice Online is running a great promotion on their DecoArt Traditions paint brushes.

Product Brush Line Tool Wood


I absolutely LOVE these brushes and they are really top-notch in quality and performance. I especially love their Dome Blenders, as they are great for blending, dry brushing and even stippling. The angle brushes are also lovely and I am sad to say that the 1/8" angular shader is going to be discontinued. I made sure to stock up on several for my arsenal and I understand from Sue at AAO that there are still some in stock.

The special that they are having is only until midnight tonight (Thursday) and you will receive 30% off ALL your brushes by using the coupon code ALLBRUSHES30 at the checkout. While I understand that you all have to watch your craft budget, I think these are pretty close to the nicest brushes I have used as far as quality. They last a long, long time with proper care and are a beautiful investment. These brushes are made by DecoArt and are yet another one of their amazing products that they create. They always stand behind their products and I know that I am getting quality supplies.

I think that Art Apprentice Online is an extraordinary source for classes, instructions and quality supplies. I have been a fan for years and have learned so much from them. I hoep you head over to their site and see what they have to offer. They have classes for ALL levels - from beginners to advanced painters, and their personal service and online instruction is unsurpassed!

Well, that is about all for today. I am off to write our newsletter. If you subscribe, be expecting it sometime this afternoon.

When I am done with that, I am working on my online class for Interactive Artist Magazine, which is coming along beautifully.

The sun is shining, although it is still cool here in Nova Scotia. Spring is trying very hard. I am home for the day though and I am grateful for the bright and sunny sky. It truly makes the day more cheerful.

I wish you all a wonderful day as well. Happy Thursday to you all! :)
I love the new title to your blog! It is definitely you! Keith's family plaque is beautiful. It would make a wonderful baby shower gift.
 

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#12,616 ·
Change

There are a few things we can be certain of in this world. We have all heard the saying that "the only thing that we can be sure of is death and taxes", but as I get older, I find that something in that quote was left out. . . change.

While some of us are uncomfortable with change, others thrive on it. I am not sure where my feelings lie in this equation, but I think they are somewhere in the middle.

Change can be scary, as many times change is accompanied by the 'unknown'. But without change, there is no room for growth and improvement, and I would rather experience the discomfort than live my life in a state of stagnation. How terrible that would be!

From another perspective, change can be a very useful tool to get us through circumstances that are not optimal at the time. When I am feeling frustrated and 'stuck' in a certain situation, I find comfort in telling myself that things won't always be the same, and that change is inevitable and will eventually occur. It really does help.

I have been blogging on a nearly daily basis for just about six years now. I began my blog at the Lumberjocks.com website some 1700+ posts ago. It had never occurred to me to create a blog. Who would be interested in my thoughts and rambling ideas anyway? But there was interest and over the years I have developed a nice little following of other creative people who say I help inspire them and who inspire me as well. What began as something that I wanted to do to help expand and promote my business, soon became a daily habit and I have met and befriended countless other creative people who have the same desires to make things as I have. It has been mutually beneficial and I believe helps me focus much better and as a result of it, has helped me tremendously. I am very happy in the decision to try it.

Over the years, I have seen a change in my posts. Initially, I focused mainly on woodworking and designing patterns for the scroll saw, as that was my main focus for my work. But through time and growth, I have embraced many forms of creativity and as a result of that, I have gained followers from many different creative avenues. This is wonderful to me, as I find that those who are creative rarely tunnel themselves into one form of craft. Most people try this and that and there are several aspects of crafts that bleed over to other areas. There truly are no boundaries. It opens an entire world to us all.

Because of this, several years ago I decided to branch out and publish my blog in several places. I learned how to do so on my own site, and besides sharing it to the original host on Lumberjocks, I also post to Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest. By expanding it into those venues, I also have been able to expand my audience, learn new techniques and make new creative friends. This all leads to some wonderfully positive results in my own designing.

As our little company continues to grow, it also is constantly changing. I like to look at it in the same way that I view my life - a kaleidoscope of ever-changing shapes and patterns. I like that analogy because a kaleidoscope uses the same elements and rearranges them in endless beautiful patterns. It reminds me that we don't always need MORE to make positive changes in our lives, but sometimes just reorganizing our priorities and making changes within is enough to improve things.

With that all being said, I have made a couple of changes to my blog here that I hope you will like.

The first change I did a couple of days ago, and I found it amusing that only one person mentioned it to me. (Perhaps my following isn't what I think it is after all! ) The former title focused on scroll saw patterns, but since then I have branched out into so many other things, I thought it made sense to change the title to something more encompassing. Not only will it attract a wider audience, but also is more true to the content of the posts that I make. It is better all around.

Another change I am making is that I decided to also post my blog on WordPress. I had several of my customers mention to me that my blog was difficult to read from my site on some of their devices. Since our site is on a template, it is not easy to override some of the features and it makes it hard to change things. This seemed to be a good answer. WordPress is well-liked by many of my colleagues and offers such features (as subscribing to new posts and instant notification for me when someone comments) that I my site here doesn't offer. I posted the first blog there yesterday and I already heard that the blog looked much better on devices. I think it will be a good additional platform, and while I will still be posting here, I invite you to check it out and perhaps subscribe to my new posts. My name on WordPress is Sheila Landry Designs and you can follow the link HERE to my home page there. I will be spending part of the weekend filling in the information and familiarizing myself with the formatting. Thank you for being patient with me. I would love to hear your feedback on it when I get settled in.

On the creative front, I am going to be working on my watercolor design that I am doing for an online class. I got started yesterday and I am happy with the result so far. Here is a little 'teaser' for you to see:

Wood Art Painting Flooring Font


I promise more by Monday.

Finally for today, I want you to be aware of a wonderful artist that I discovered through my travels. His name is Jason Morgan and he does spectacular work in drawing, painting and photography. I have watched many of his videos on YouTube and purchased several technique books. I love his teaching style and like many artists, he loves to share his love of creating.

Every Friday, Jason offers a new set of photos that he calls "Free Friday Photos" for our own use. Unlike most photographs, these are intended for us to use to create from and SELL our resulting creations - completely cost free. The only limits of use on the photos are that they cannot be sold as photos. This is most generous, and when you see Jason's talent you will understand how amazing he is. He is truly an asset to the art community on so many levels.

Today Jason has an offer of a new CD he created (that is also available as an instant digital download) that contains 100 beautiful wildlife photos for anyone to use in their art. This would include those of you who scroll saw and are always searching for beautiful, quality reference photos that are truly available to use without additional cost for your creations. He is generously offering the new D at half price for a limited time! Jason talks about it in his latest YouTube Video here. You should stop by and see some of his work and tutorials. His site link is here: Jason Morgan . I hope you stop by and see his astonishing work and show him support. It is artists like this that not only encourage other artists, but make our world a more beautiful place.

Well, that is about all for today. I hope that you all have a great weekend. I have a busy one planned as usual and I hope to accomplish a lot.

Enjoy what life has to offer you! If things aren't going well, remember that change is just around the corner.
 

Attachments

#12,617 ·
Change

There are a few things we can be certain of in this world. We have all heard the saying that "the only thing that we can be sure of is death and taxes", but as I get older, I find that something in that quote was left out. . . change.

While some of us are uncomfortable with change, others thrive on it. I am not sure where my feelings lie in this equation, but I think they are somewhere in the middle.

Change can be scary, as many times change is accompanied by the 'unknown'. But without change, there is no room for growth and improvement, and I would rather experience the discomfort than live my life in a state of stagnation. How terrible that would be!

From another perspective, change can be a very useful tool to get us through circumstances that are not optimal at the time. When I am feeling frustrated and 'stuck' in a certain situation, I find comfort in telling myself that things won't always be the same, and that change is inevitable and will eventually occur. It really does help.

I have been blogging on a nearly daily basis for just about six years now. I began my blog at the Lumberjocks.com website some 1700+ posts ago. It had never occurred to me to create a blog. Who would be interested in my thoughts and rambling ideas anyway? But there was interest and over the years I have developed a nice little following of other creative people who say I help inspire them and who inspire me as well. What began as something that I wanted to do to help expand and promote my business, soon became a daily habit and I have met and befriended countless other creative people who have the same desires to make things as I have. It has been mutually beneficial and I believe helps me focus much better and as a result of it, has helped me tremendously. I am very happy in the decision to try it.

Over the years, I have seen a change in my posts. Initially, I focused mainly on woodworking and designing patterns for the scroll saw, as that was my main focus for my work. But through time and growth, I have embraced many forms of creativity and as a result of that, I have gained followers from many different creative avenues. This is wonderful to me, as I find that those who are creative rarely tunnel themselves into one form of craft. Most people try this and that and there are several aspects of crafts that bleed over to other areas. There truly are no boundaries. It opens an entire world to us all.

Because of this, several years ago I decided to branch out and publish my blog in several places. I learned how to do so on my own site, and besides sharing it to the original host on Lumberjocks, I also post to Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest. By expanding it into those venues, I also have been able to expand my audience, learn new techniques and make new creative friends. This all leads to some wonderfully positive results in my own designing.

As our little company continues to grow, it also is constantly changing. I like to look at it in the same way that I view my life - a kaleidoscope of ever-changing shapes and patterns. I like that analogy because a kaleidoscope uses the same elements and rearranges them in endless beautiful patterns. It reminds me that we don't always need MORE to make positive changes in our lives, but sometimes just reorganizing our priorities and making changes within is enough to improve things.

With that all being said, I have made a couple of changes to my blog here that I hope you will like.

The first change I did a couple of days ago, and I found it amusing that only one person mentioned it to me. (Perhaps my following isn't what I think it is after all! ) The former title focused on scroll saw patterns, but since then I have branched out into so many other things, I thought it made sense to change the title to something more encompassing. Not only will it attract a wider audience, but also is more true to the content of the posts that I make. It is better all around.

Another change I am making is that I decided to also post my blog on WordPress. I had several of my customers mention to me that my blog was difficult to read from my site on some of their devices. Since our site is on a template, it is not easy to override some of the features and it makes it hard to change things. This seemed to be a good answer. WordPress is well-liked by many of my colleagues and offers such features (as subscribing to new posts and instant notification for me when someone comments) that I my site here doesn't offer. I posted the first blog there yesterday and I already heard that the blog looked much better on devices. I think it will be a good additional platform, and while I will still be posting here, I invite you to check it out and perhaps subscribe to my new posts. My name on WordPress is Sheila Landry Designs and you can follow the link HERE to my home page there. I will be spending part of the weekend filling in the information and familiarizing myself with the formatting. Thank you for being patient with me. I would love to hear your feedback on it when I get settled in.

On the creative front, I am going to be working on my watercolor design that I am doing for an online class. I got started yesterday and I am happy with the result so far. Here is a little 'teaser' for you to see:

Wood Art Painting Flooring Font


I promise more by Monday.

Finally for today, I want you to be aware of a wonderful artist that I discovered through my travels. His name is Jason Morgan and he does spectacular work in drawing, painting and photography. I have watched many of his videos on YouTube and purchased several technique books. I love his teaching style and like many artists, he loves to share his love of creating.

Every Friday, Jason offers a new set of photos that he calls "Free Friday Photos" for our own use. Unlike most photographs, these are intended for us to use to create from and SELL our resulting creations - completely cost free. The only limits of use on the photos are that they cannot be sold as photos. This is most generous, and when you see Jason's talent you will understand how amazing he is. He is truly an asset to the art community on so many levels.

Today Jason has an offer of a new CD he created (that is also available as an instant digital download) that contains 100 beautiful wildlife photos for anyone to use in their art. This would include those of you who scroll saw and are always searching for beautiful, quality reference photos that are truly available to use without additional cost for your creations. He is generously offering the new D at half price for a limited time! Jason talks about it in his latest YouTube Video here. You should stop by and see some of his work and tutorials. His site link is here: Jason Morgan . I hope you stop by and see his astonishing work and show him support. It is artists like this that not only encourage other artists, but make our world a more beautiful place.

Well, that is about all for today. I hope that you all have a great weekend. I have a busy one planned as usual and I hope to accomplish a lot.

Enjoy what life has to offer you! If things aren't going well, remember that change is just around the corner.
Jason Morgan is fantastic. What I would have given for that resource back when I was painting but that was over 30 yrs ago and nothing such was available then.
 

Attachments

#12,621 ·
Patience

Sometimes I think I am my own worst enemy. There are times - especially when I am designing - that I am very, very hard on myself and just not happy with the way things are going. As a result, the things I do often take a great deal of time for me to complete. I wind up changing things and re-doing them several times before I even show them to you all. There are even times when these projects are scrapped and put in a drawer or completely discarded. Although I am happy to say that doesn't happen often, it does occur.

I don't think that I am different from any other designer or creator in this respect. It happens to us all. We get to an 'ugly stage' on a project and just can't work our way through it. While it may not be a fun time in our work, it definitly has a purpose. I believe it is times like this when we are learning the most about whatever we are doing. We only need to be open to and receptive to the lessons in front of us and work our way through them. They make us better at what we do.

I thought about the year so far as we entered the month of May. The year 2016 is already a third over. It is kind of hard to believe. Usually winter seems to pass slowly, but this year it seems that we just blinked and here we are on the brink of summer already.

As I thought about this and tried to find the reason for this perception, I realized that it feels this way in a large part because I have been so busy with my work. I have not only filled a large number of wood orders, but I have been exploring some new media to create with and spent just about every spare moment learning. It has been exciting and fun and is opening even more doors for me and my business. It makes me happy.

When I look at my new pattern count for the year, it seems quite low. If one were to judge me by that, they would certainly think I was being lax and resting on my previous achievements. But behind the scenes, I am not only working on more of my own designs and exploring new avenues to create, but I am also collaborating with several designers that have become friends and working with them on new projects. While I am not at liberty to share these projects until they are presented, I assure you they are all fun and exciting. This is where I need to be patient and step back a bit and allow things to just come when they are ready. I will show them when the time is right.

Because of this, I haven't posted to the blog here as often. I am sure you all had your fill of seeing the piles of wood I cut in a session, and other times things just aren't ready to present. I want you to know though that these slight lulls usually mean that there is something exciting to come. A new project or idea that is developing and may not quite be ready to present. A new direction.

I worked this weekend extensively on a new project that I am creating for Interactive Artist Magazine. I had shown my first run of it to you a couple of weeks ago. It is a watercolor painting of a seahorse, created with beautiful Mission Gold Watercolors.

The media is new to me. I have not worked in watercolors previously and it is quite different from the other types of drawing and painting that I have attempted.

I struggled a bit, but I was not unhappy with my first effort. I even used two color palettes to further train myself on the use of values.

Hair Head Jaw Organism Mammal


But after doing that I froze. I was very pleased with the outcome of these two paintings and while finishing up a couple of projects in between, I lost my nerve and wondered if I could ever replicate it again. The process of painting something and teaching someone else to paint the same thing are quite different. Just because you can paint well, doesn't necessarily mean you can teach others to do so. It is something that many don't consider.

I had to begin all over again. While these designs came out nice, they were too much back and forth to make any real sense of things. What they needed was to be recreated by using a step-by-step, methodical process that the average artist would be able to follow and understand. I had to recall what colors worked for me and figure out how to lay them down in a way that someone even newer to the medium could follow along with. It was quite the challenge for me.

After several attempts, I think I finally 'got it'. (Yes - I said SEVERAL). It took many trials and many errors, but things were finally sorting themselves out in my head and things 'clicked'. The fog lifted and I could see a clear path to follow as I once again recreated the seahorse. While it took a great deal of time, it felt wonderful to see it come to be. I went from being scared and feeling lost to painting with organization and confidence and I think the result is something that I can be proud of. I will feel good about offering this pattern and I feel that it will be something that a painter with even little experience can recreate. I am happy.

As I applied each layer, I saw it come to life and what I created on paper actually matched what I envisioned:

Head Eye Jaw Gesture Art


Head Eye Jaw Gesture Art


Head Art Rectangle Font Wood


Jaw Terrestrial animal Syngnathiformes Marine invertebrates Seahorse


As I added the final details, I knew in my heart that I had finally 'gotten it'. Things connected and the part of explaining things would not be difficult.

I took probably over 100 photographs of the process, and they will not only help to remind me of the steps, but clarify them for the students. I am sure that it will be a pattern that I am proud of, and I hope that others will learn as much from it as I did. I think they will.

So today I will be working on the photos as well as the writing of the instructions. It will probably take most of the day and I will be happy if by tomorrow I can call it finished. It took a bit longer than I would have anticipated, but I feel that the final result is very much worth it. Quality over quantity.

I think that you can apply this train of thought to many aspects of your life. While we live in a world where we want everything to be done instantly, there are some things that just take time to complete correctly. There is nothing wrong with that. For I would rather product 10 excellent patterns each year than 100 mediocre designs. I know that is what my students and customers have come to expect from me and I am happy that I have set that standard for myself. It allows me to be truly proud of the work that I do and have the confidence to keep creating.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Art Font Eyelash Adaptation Dinosaur


Happy Monday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,622 ·
Patience

Sometimes I think I am my own worst enemy. There are times - especially when I am designing - that I am very, very hard on myself and just not happy with the way things are going. As a result, the things I do often take a great deal of time for me to complete. I wind up changing things and re-doing them several times before I even show them to you all. There are even times when these projects are scrapped and put in a drawer or completely discarded. Although I am happy to say that doesn't happen often, it does occur.

I don't think that I am different from any other designer or creator in this respect. It happens to us all. We get to an 'ugly stage' on a project and just can't work our way through it. While it may not be a fun time in our work, it definitly has a purpose. I believe it is times like this when we are learning the most about whatever we are doing. We only need to be open to and receptive to the lessons in front of us and work our way through them. They make us better at what we do.

I thought about the year so far as we entered the month of May. The year 2016 is already a third over. It is kind of hard to believe. Usually winter seems to pass slowly, but this year it seems that we just blinked and here we are on the brink of summer already.

As I thought about this and tried to find the reason for this perception, I realized that it feels this way in a large part because I have been so busy with my work. I have not only filled a large number of wood orders, but I have been exploring some new media to create with and spent just about every spare moment learning. It has been exciting and fun and is opening even more doors for me and my business. It makes me happy.

When I look at my new pattern count for the year, it seems quite low. If one were to judge me by that, they would certainly think I was being lax and resting on my previous achievements. But behind the scenes, I am not only working on more of my own designs and exploring new avenues to create, but I am also collaborating with several designers that have become friends and working with them on new projects. While I am not at liberty to share these projects until they are presented, I assure you they are all fun and exciting. This is where I need to be patient and step back a bit and allow things to just come when they are ready. I will show them when the time is right.

Because of this, I haven't posted to the blog here as often. I am sure you all had your fill of seeing the piles of wood I cut in a session, and other times things just aren't ready to present. I want you to know though that these slight lulls usually mean that there is something exciting to come. A new project or idea that is developing and may not quite be ready to present. A new direction.

I worked this weekend extensively on a new project that I am creating for Interactive Artist Magazine. I had shown my first run of it to you a couple of weeks ago. It is a watercolor painting of a seahorse, created with beautiful Mission Gold Watercolors.

The media is new to me. I have not worked in watercolors previously and it is quite different from the other types of drawing and painting that I have attempted.

I struggled a bit, but I was not unhappy with my first effort. I even used two color palettes to further train myself on the use of values.

Hair Head Jaw Organism Mammal


But after doing that I froze. I was very pleased with the outcome of these two paintings and while finishing up a couple of projects in between, I lost my nerve and wondered if I could ever replicate it again. The process of painting something and teaching someone else to paint the same thing are quite different. Just because you can paint well, doesn't necessarily mean you can teach others to do so. It is something that many don't consider.

I had to begin all over again. While these designs came out nice, they were too much back and forth to make any real sense of things. What they needed was to be recreated by using a step-by-step, methodical process that the average artist would be able to follow and understand. I had to recall what colors worked for me and figure out how to lay them down in a way that someone even newer to the medium could follow along with. It was quite the challenge for me.

After several attempts, I think I finally 'got it'. (Yes - I said SEVERAL). It took many trials and many errors, but things were finally sorting themselves out in my head and things 'clicked'. The fog lifted and I could see a clear path to follow as I once again recreated the seahorse. While it took a great deal of time, it felt wonderful to see it come to be. I went from being scared and feeling lost to painting with organization and confidence and I think the result is something that I can be proud of. I will feel good about offering this pattern and I feel that it will be something that a painter with even little experience can recreate. I am happy.

As I applied each layer, I saw it come to life and what I created on paper actually matched what I envisioned:

Head Eye Jaw Gesture Art


Head Eye Jaw Gesture Art


Head Art Rectangle Font Wood


Jaw Terrestrial animal Syngnathiformes Marine invertebrates Seahorse


As I added the final details, I knew in my heart that I had finally 'gotten it'. Things connected and the part of explaining things would not be difficult.

I took probably over 100 photographs of the process, and they will not only help to remind me of the steps, but clarify them for the students. I am sure that it will be a pattern that I am proud of, and I hope that others will learn as much from it as I did. I think they will.

So today I will be working on the photos as well as the writing of the instructions. It will probably take most of the day and I will be happy if by tomorrow I can call it finished. It took a bit longer than I would have anticipated, but I feel that the final result is very much worth it. Quality over quantity.

I think that you can apply this train of thought to many aspects of your life. While we live in a world where we want everything to be done instantly, there are some things that just take time to complete correctly. There is nothing wrong with that. For I would rather product 10 excellent patterns each year than 100 mediocre designs. I know that is what my students and customers have come to expect from me and I am happy that I have set that standard for myself. It allows me to be truly proud of the work that I do and have the confidence to keep creating.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Art Font Eyelash Adaptation Dinosaur


Happy Monday to you all!
Beautiful Sheila! Your seahorse has a twinkle in his eye :) I like the background you have painted him on. He would make a beautiful greeting card.
 

Attachments

#12,624 ·
Boxing Day

As an artist, I love getting new supplies. Besides loving to work in so many different types of media, being active on the internet and participating in classes and online forums exposes me to many, many different new and exciting products. It really keeps my creative juices flowing and I love trying new techniques and products. It is a wonderful part of what I do.

Many of you know that I live in a very small place. Keith and I have lived in a one bedroom apartment for over seven years now, and running a business from here has been a bit challenging to say the least. Between woodworking, painting, drawing and embroidery supplies, you can imagine we are bursting at the seams. However, if you walk into our home, you will see little evidence of what we do. Other than the scroll saw and drill press tucked in the corner of our kitchen, everything has its place and we pride ourselves on being "Masters of Organization". I suppose if I had to list a hobby on my resume, it would be "Organizing". Not only is it a matter of survival, but also allows us to keep our minds clear and focused on creating rather than rummaging through clutter and trying to find stuff. That just isn't the way we are.

We are thrilled that we are moving to a large home in a couple of months. Not only will this allow us some room to stretch our legs, but also to work more efficiently and have a much more pleasant atmosphere. Keith will have his own shop in the basement for his hobbies and I will have my own studio room to keep all of my supplies and to work from. I am thrilled. We will also have a large room for woodworking which will confine the mess and allow us to have more tools there, not to mention a large, two-story barn. We will be in heaven!

But that doesn't mean we won't need to be organized. Quite the contrary, I think. Both of us have spent the last month planning and scouring the internet for furniture and storage devices that will serve us well and make our home as efficient as ever. It is a fun and functional task and I will certainly be blogging about our transition every step of the way.

About a week ago, I stumbled on something that I thought would fit nicely in my new studio. I don't even remember what I was looking for, but I saw a photo of a nice box from Derwent (the pencil and art supply manufacturer) that may come in handy. I went to their site, and read up on the box. I loved it. The price was only 85 British pounds shipped from England to Canada, which came to about $140 CDN and $118 USD and seemed reasonable for what it was. I had purchased some other Derwent sets in wooden boxes and they were beautifully made. I thought that I would order one. (You can see the box on their site HERE.

After looking at the photos of the box, I decided that it was so reasonable that I could probably use two. I had purchased several smaller sets of pencils and accessories over the past year and I thought of how nice it would be to have everything confined to one place. I also had my Prismacolors, which came in a large, awkward box and it would be nice to give them a good home in one of them. I tried to order the second box only hours after the first, and unfortunately, it was now listed as "Out of Stock". I was disappointed, but happy that my order went through on the first one. I must have been lucky.

Only a week later, I received notice from Fex-Ex that my new box would be delivered on Monday. I was surprised at the speed of its arrival. It came yesterday and I thought I would share the "unboxing" with you all.

The box that it came in was HUGE!! I thought it would be the size of a large cereal box, only taller, but it filled up most of my kitchen table:

Packing materials Shipping box Package delivery Wood Packaging and labeling


I carefully opened that box to reveal a second box inside. I was impressed with the care it was packaged, as you can see the outer box is a little 'bent'.

Shipping box Package delivery Packing materials Rectangle Carton


When I opened the second box, there was a THIRD styrofoam box inside! I took the lid off of that to reveal a beautiful maple box lid. WOW! I was impressed. It was about twice the size I expected and oh, so pretty! It had a satin finish on it with a pretty engraved brass plate with the Derwent logo on it.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Hardwood


I carefully lifted the (heavy) box out of the inner box and just looked at it for a bit. How beautifully it was made!

Brown Wood Box Rectangle Gas


I opened the lid to reveal two levels for storing pencils. Behind the second level, there was a place to store pastel blocks (or in my case, my extra Inktense blocks) The second level lifted out if I wished so it would be portable.

Wood Rectangle Musical instrument accessory Gas Hardwood


"Inspector Pancakes" came to check it out, too. You can see the size of it compared to him. I think he approved! :)

Cat Wood Carnivore Felidae Floor


There is a small brass pin in the front that is used as a key to hold in the bottom levels:

Hand Wood Gesture Finger Thumb


By removing the key, you could then pull out the two drawers. The first drawer was a thin one for pencils.

Wood Rectangle Floor Line Flooring


It could be fully removed from the box very easily as well and had room behind it for accessories.

Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring Gas


The bottom drawer was much deeper and could be used for a variety of supplies. It came with some deep foam that could be cut to suit my needs. I haven't decided whether to keep the foam in or not yet:

Wood Rectangle Flooring Gas Hardwood


As a surprise, it also had a small, wooden pencil box as a bonus, with the Derwent logo on it. It is really beautiful!

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Audio equipment


Altogether, it makes a beautiful presentation and storage box! I couldn't be happier with it!

Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Hardwood


Finally, it has a leather handle on the side for carrying it if I am 'on the go'. The opposite side has rubber feet so it could be stored standing on its side:

Wood Audio equipment Gadget Shipping box Gas


But I don't think I will be doing that. It is too pretty to put away. It will have a place right on my desktoop so everything is handy and all can see it.

I can't tell you how thrilled I am. I am sorry to say that they are no longer available. I am very lucky to have been at the right place and time to get one. On the side of the carton it came in, it read that it was number 336 of 500, so I am thinking that only 500 were offered. The quality and workmanship on it is outstanding. The joints are finger-jointed (for my woodworking friends) and beautifully put together. The hardware is lovely and centered and not stuck on haphazardly as some boxes are made. The maple is stained to a rich, beautiful color with a flawless satin finish on it. It is quality from start to finish. The "score of the year" for me!

I spent the evening filling it up and just enjoying myself doing so. I will blog tomorrow on what I put in it, so I hope you come back to see. It is quite impressive!

Who would think an empty box would make one so happy? I am sure my fellow artists completely understand. I apologize for making you all drool, but I couldn't help but brag a little about my treasure. It will be a keepsake I will enjoy for many years.

Brown Rectangle Beige Font Wood


Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,625 ·
Boxing Day

As an artist, I love getting new supplies. Besides loving to work in so many different types of media, being active on the internet and participating in classes and online forums exposes me to many, many different new and exciting products. It really keeps my creative juices flowing and I love trying new techniques and products. It is a wonderful part of what I do.

Many of you know that I live in a very small place. Keith and I have lived in a one bedroom apartment for over seven years now, and running a business from here has been a bit challenging to say the least. Between woodworking, painting, drawing and embroidery supplies, you can imagine we are bursting at the seams. However, if you walk into our home, you will see little evidence of what we do. Other than the scroll saw and drill press tucked in the corner of our kitchen, everything has its place and we pride ourselves on being "Masters of Organization". I suppose if I had to list a hobby on my resume, it would be "Organizing". Not only is it a matter of survival, but also allows us to keep our minds clear and focused on creating rather than rummaging through clutter and trying to find stuff. That just isn't the way we are.

We are thrilled that we are moving to a large home in a couple of months. Not only will this allow us some room to stretch our legs, but also to work more efficiently and have a much more pleasant atmosphere. Keith will have his own shop in the basement for his hobbies and I will have my own studio room to keep all of my supplies and to work from. I am thrilled. We will also have a large room for woodworking which will confine the mess and allow us to have more tools there, not to mention a large, two-story barn. We will be in heaven!

But that doesn't mean we won't need to be organized. Quite the contrary, I think. Both of us have spent the last month planning and scouring the internet for furniture and storage devices that will serve us well and make our home as efficient as ever. It is a fun and functional task and I will certainly be blogging about our transition every step of the way.

About a week ago, I stumbled on something that I thought would fit nicely in my new studio. I don't even remember what I was looking for, but I saw a photo of a nice box from Derwent (the pencil and art supply manufacturer) that may come in handy. I went to their site, and read up on the box. I loved it. The price was only 85 British pounds shipped from England to Canada, which came to about $140 CDN and $118 USD and seemed reasonable for what it was. I had purchased some other Derwent sets in wooden boxes and they were beautifully made. I thought that I would order one. (You can see the box on their site HERE.

After looking at the photos of the box, I decided that it was so reasonable that I could probably use two. I had purchased several smaller sets of pencils and accessories over the past year and I thought of how nice it would be to have everything confined to one place. I also had my Prismacolors, which came in a large, awkward box and it would be nice to give them a good home in one of them. I tried to order the second box only hours after the first, and unfortunately, it was now listed as "Out of Stock". I was disappointed, but happy that my order went through on the first one. I must have been lucky.

Only a week later, I received notice from Fex-Ex that my new box would be delivered on Monday. I was surprised at the speed of its arrival. It came yesterday and I thought I would share the "unboxing" with you all.

The box that it came in was HUGE!! I thought it would be the size of a large cereal box, only taller, but it filled up most of my kitchen table:

Packing materials Shipping box Package delivery Wood Packaging and labeling


I carefully opened that box to reveal a second box inside. I was impressed with the care it was packaged, as you can see the outer box is a little 'bent'.

Shipping box Package delivery Packing materials Rectangle Carton


When I opened the second box, there was a THIRD styrofoam box inside! I took the lid off of that to reveal a beautiful maple box lid. WOW! I was impressed. It was about twice the size I expected and oh, so pretty! It had a satin finish on it with a pretty engraved brass plate with the Derwent logo on it.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Hardwood


I carefully lifted the (heavy) box out of the inner box and just looked at it for a bit. How beautifully it was made!

Brown Wood Box Rectangle Gas


I opened the lid to reveal two levels for storing pencils. Behind the second level, there was a place to store pastel blocks (or in my case, my extra Inktense blocks) The second level lifted out if I wished so it would be portable.

Wood Rectangle Musical instrument accessory Gas Hardwood


"Inspector Pancakes" came to check it out, too. You can see the size of it compared to him. I think he approved! :)

Cat Wood Carnivore Felidae Floor


There is a small brass pin in the front that is used as a key to hold in the bottom levels:

Hand Wood Gesture Finger Thumb


By removing the key, you could then pull out the two drawers. The first drawer was a thin one for pencils.

Wood Rectangle Floor Line Flooring


It could be fully removed from the box very easily as well and had room behind it for accessories.

Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring Gas


The bottom drawer was much deeper and could be used for a variety of supplies. It came with some deep foam that could be cut to suit my needs. I haven't decided whether to keep the foam in or not yet:

Wood Rectangle Flooring Gas Hardwood


As a surprise, it also had a small, wooden pencil box as a bonus, with the Derwent logo on it. It is really beautiful!

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Audio equipment


Altogether, it makes a beautiful presentation and storage box! I couldn't be happier with it!

Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Hardwood


Finally, it has a leather handle on the side for carrying it if I am 'on the go'. The opposite side has rubber feet so it could be stored standing on its side:

Wood Audio equipment Gadget Shipping box Gas


But I don't think I will be doing that. It is too pretty to put away. It will have a place right on my desktoop so everything is handy and all can see it.

I can't tell you how thrilled I am. I am sorry to say that they are no longer available. I am very lucky to have been at the right place and time to get one. On the side of the carton it came in, it read that it was number 336 of 500, so I am thinking that only 500 were offered. The quality and workmanship on it is outstanding. The joints are finger-jointed (for my woodworking friends) and beautifully put together. The hardware is lovely and centered and not stuck on haphazardly as some boxes are made. The maple is stained to a rich, beautiful color with a flawless satin finish on it. It is quality from start to finish. The "score of the year" for me!

I spent the evening filling it up and just enjoying myself doing so. I will blog tomorrow on what I put in it, so I hope you come back to see. It is quite impressive!

Who would think an empty box would make one so happy? I am sure my fellow artists completely understand. I apologize for making you all drool, but I couldn't help but brag a little about my treasure. It will be a keepsake I will enjoy for many years.

Brown Rectangle Beige Font Wood


Happy Tuesday to you all!
Well done, Sheila. Derwent have always been known for their high quality art supplies and now you've got the box to store them. Very nice it is too.
 

Attachments

#12,627 ·
#1730 A Box Filled With "Possibilities"

What is better than a beautifully crafted, furniture quality box?

Why a beautifully crafted, furniture quality box filled with supplies, of course!

Yesterday, I showed you the lovely box that I snagged on the Derwent site last weekend. For the price (about $140 CDN or $115 USD SHIPPED from England) I was thrilled with the quality and workmanship that Derwent used to build it. But let's face it - the reason that I ordered it in the first place was to use it for storing my odds and ends of my pencil supplies. Not only did I own a set of 120 Prismacolors that came in a cheap, flimsy box that left them falling all over the place, but over time I have accumulated several smaller sets and accessories associated with pencil work and they were stored in small containers and drawers all over the place. The last thing we want to do when we feel 'inspired' is to hunt down supplies that we knew we had. I thought it would be great to have them all in one place where they were easily accessible. I knew that if I could do that, it would make my art sessions far more pleasant and productive. Little did I know how beautiful the box would be! But it was time to put it to work! I spent more time than I care to admit admiring all the lovely supplies I have and filling that puppy up. So here are some photos of what I put in it. (I think it is even more attractive now!) :D

The first order of business was to add the 120 Prismacolor pencils. While I have the full set of Faber-Castell Polychromo pencils in their own wooden box, (Yes! I am a "supply hog"!) I still want to use the Prismacolors and by having them close at hand, I have a better chance of doing that. I put them in semi-chromatic order since I mostly use them from sight and do not follow any patterns. I think that works best for me! They look so pretty all lined up like that, don't they??

Bookcase Furniture Table Publication Writing implement


One of the best things about this box is that the middle two layers, which have dividers to hold pencils, also have an area in the back of the drawer for other supplies. For the top drawer, I decided to put my Metallic Leafing markers on the left, some other miscellaneous permanent markers in the center and my extra Inktense blocks on the right.

Writing implement Office supplies Wood Material property Pencil


For the second drawer, I stored my paper blending stumps on the left, a spacer foam piece in the middle (for future supplies) and my Faber-Castell Pitt marking pens on the right.

Office supplies Writing implement Wood Publication Pencil


Next there is the deeper bottom drawer. It is about 2-3" deep. I decided to leave the foam in it for now, because it holds the supplies very nicely this way:

Rectangle e-book readers Gadget Font Electronic device


On the left side, the cavity is large and deep enough to hold my graphite pencils. I have my Faber-Castell water soluble graphite pencils as well as my 9000 series set in a thin plastic box.

Product Gadget Font Material property Publication


Underneath that are my Derwent Graphitint pencils. These are slightly tinted, water-soluble graphite pencils. I haven't used them yet, but I can't wait to try them:

Audio equipment Electronic instrument Gas Bumper Grille


Finally, on the right side are my Powder Blending mediums and my erasers. Oh - and that pretty little pencil box that will come in handy when I have my new desk set up:

Rectangle Font Cosmetics Personal care Glove


Overall, it makes a splendid and functional presentation!

Wood Office supplies Office equipment Table Gas


What a beautiful way to stay organized and save some space! Just think of all the POSSIBILITIES!!

I hope you liked seeing my newly found treasure! I also hope it gives you some ideas for storage of some of your supplies. While the box is no longer available, I promise I will be on the lookout for similar items and I will share them here on my blog as I find them.

It is a dull and overcast day here in Nova Scotia. But lots of spring days are like that. I can't tell if it will rain, but if it does, I won't be surprised. I hope you all have a wonderful day, as I plan to finish writing some instructions and then get working on my next project. I can't wait to play with my new supplies as well!

Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,628 ·
#1730 A Box Filled With "Possibilities"

What is better than a beautifully crafted, furniture quality box?

Why a beautifully crafted, furniture quality box filled with supplies, of course!

Yesterday, I showed you the lovely box that I snagged on the Derwent site last weekend. For the price (about $140 CDN or $115 USD SHIPPED from England) I was thrilled with the quality and workmanship that Derwent used to build it. But let's face it - the reason that I ordered it in the first place was to use it for storing my odds and ends of my pencil supplies. Not only did I own a set of 120 Prismacolors that came in a cheap, flimsy box that left them falling all over the place, but over time I have accumulated several smaller sets and accessories associated with pencil work and they were stored in small containers and drawers all over the place. The last thing we want to do when we feel 'inspired' is to hunt down supplies that we knew we had. I thought it would be great to have them all in one place where they were easily accessible. I knew that if I could do that, it would make my art sessions far more pleasant and productive. Little did I know how beautiful the box would be! But it was time to put it to work! I spent more time than I care to admit admiring all the lovely supplies I have and filling that puppy up. So here are some photos of what I put in it. (I think it is even more attractive now!) :D

The first order of business was to add the 120 Prismacolor pencils. While I have the full set of Faber-Castell Polychromo pencils in their own wooden box, (Yes! I am a "supply hog"!) I still want to use the Prismacolors and by having them close at hand, I have a better chance of doing that. I put them in semi-chromatic order since I mostly use them from sight and do not follow any patterns. I think that works best for me! They look so pretty all lined up like that, don't they??

Bookcase Furniture Table Publication Writing implement


One of the best things about this box is that the middle two layers, which have dividers to hold pencils, also have an area in the back of the drawer for other supplies. For the top drawer, I decided to put my Metallic Leafing markers on the left, some other miscellaneous permanent markers in the center and my extra Inktense blocks on the right.

Writing implement Office supplies Wood Material property Pencil


For the second drawer, I stored my paper blending stumps on the left, a spacer foam piece in the middle (for future supplies) and my Faber-Castell Pitt marking pens on the right.

Office supplies Writing implement Wood Publication Pencil


Next there is the deeper bottom drawer. It is about 2-3" deep. I decided to leave the foam in it for now, because it holds the supplies very nicely this way:

Rectangle e-book readers Gadget Font Electronic device


On the left side, the cavity is large and deep enough to hold my graphite pencils. I have my Faber-Castell water soluble graphite pencils as well as my 9000 series set in a thin plastic box.

Product Gadget Font Material property Publication


Underneath that are my Derwent Graphitint pencils. These are slightly tinted, water-soluble graphite pencils. I haven't used them yet, but I can't wait to try them:

Audio equipment Electronic instrument Gas Bumper Grille


Finally, on the right side are my Powder Blending mediums and my erasers. Oh - and that pretty little pencil box that will come in handy when I have my new desk set up:

Rectangle Font Cosmetics Personal care Glove


Overall, it makes a splendid and functional presentation!

Wood Office supplies Office equipment Table Gas


What a beautiful way to stay organized and save some space! Just think of all the POSSIBILITIES!!

I hope you liked seeing my newly found treasure! I also hope it gives you some ideas for storage of some of your supplies. While the box is no longer available, I promise I will be on the lookout for similar items and I will share them here on my blog as I find them.

It is a dull and overcast day here in Nova Scotia. But lots of spring days are like that. I can't tell if it will rain, but if it does, I won't be surprised. I hope you all have a wonderful day, as I plan to finish writing some instructions and then get working on my next project. I can't wait to play with my new supplies as well!

Happy Wednesday to you all!
Looks marvelous Sheila. Well thought out. I can see you enjoying this for decades.
 

Attachments

#12,631 ·
The Spice of Life

It has been another busy end of the week, as well as weekend. As we are moving into the second week of May, the weather is finally getting warmer and beginning to resemble spring and summer. Hopefully in the next week, I will be picking up my car from the place that is working on it and I will once again have my driving freedom. It has been a long story regarding my vehicle this past year, and I don't want to bore anyone here with those details. There is enough good to focus on and talk about and hopefully that particular chapter in my life will end and I can move on from there. Besides, I am too busy to dwell on it. Why waste time on things that we can't change?

Lately I feel that I have been focusing in more directions than usual. Perhaps it is the result of being home here for the most part with much time to plan and think. Besides figuring out our move in two months and designing my studio, I have been discovering so many new types of creative media and I can't help myself but want to learn them and create with them. It is something that drives me from deep within my heart and I find myself wanted to accomplish more than ever.

Because of that, I see my posts here jumping from one thing to another. I have tagged it with terms like "scroll sawing" and "tole painting" and "needlework", but I could also list it with several other terms such as watercolors, stumpwork, and colored pencil work. Not to mention all the terms that are associated with having a small business. The list of key words could very well be as long as the post themselves. (And that is saying a lot, as those of you who read often know how I can ramble on!)

There are times when I feel I should 'settle' on one or two things. But those thoughts are usually fleeting, because I feel in my heart that everything I do regarding my art and design work is related. There is no hard and fast division between skills from one medium to another. They all seem to bleed over to each other in one way or another and I don't feel the need to curtail that at all.

I am often asked how I keep coming up with the many ideas for designing that I have, and I believe that the answer lies within my lifestyle and my longing to continually learn new forms of creativity. While I realize that this type of life isn't for everyone, I accept it as part of my own personality, and instead of fighting it and trying to channel myself into one aspect of art or another, I embrace the desire to learn and find myself happiest when doing just that. Each distinct type of creating that I do helps every other aspect, I believe. Besides that - it makes me happy to learn new skills and helps me feel accomplished. It is a very positive thing in this world that is sometimes filled with sadness. Therefore, I make that my focus.

One of the most important things that I accomplished over the past few days was to create the pattern for my watercolor seahorse that will be featured in the June issue of Interactive Artist Online Magazine.

Jaw Organism Terrestrial animal Tail Marine invertebrates


Being new to watercolors myself, I feel that creating this painting was a bit of a challenge. I wound up painting the seahorse three times, and each time I learned new things and it got much easier. It also helped me break down the steps to creating it in a very organized manner, which will help me teach it to both beginners and those with more experience. I wound up with 33 step-by-step photos for the pattern, which is not because it is a particularly difficult project (I think rather the opposite) but because I wanted to be able to walk people through the process using baby steps that in themselves were simple and not intimidating. Too often I see people look at the finished product and declare that they would "never be able to do that". I find by guiding them through using baby steps, each step in itself is not hard and as my students follow thorough those steps and complete them successfully, they gain confidence to continue on see that by breaking down the creating process in this way, anything is possible. It is one of the most valuable skills that I have, I believe.

I will be finishing up the text today, and I feel very good about the project as a whole. I hope that it will take some of the fear out of using watercolors that many have, and encourage them to try new techniques.

A second thing that I worked on were some scroll saw patterns.

Plant Vertebrate Nature Twig Leaf


This is part of a new series of patterns that I began creating a couple of weeks ago. I have so many ideas with this group that it has been difficult for me to channel them into a way to present them that makes sense. Perhaps that is why it has taken me so long to get moving on them, and I have sidelined them several times. My scroll saw followers have said they have 'missed me', but I want to be sure of the direction and format that I will be offering these. I am sure that once I resolve these thoughts, I will be happy that I spent the extra time to think things through first. I am certain everyone will agree. Patience will bring its own reward.

The next avenue which I chose to travel this past week and weekend was in the colored pencil venue. After stocking my beautiful new box with all my colored pencil supplies, I realized how little they have been used. While they are beautiful to look at in the presentation boxes, it would be foolish of me to allow them to sit and not take advantage of them. I began a drawing of a daffodil (the reference photo is from the Anna Mason Art website, where I am enrolled in the colored pencil course)

Flower Plant Petal Font Creative arts


While I have a long way to go, I am pleased so far with the outcome. It is always exciting to me to learn something new. I am using techniques taught by Lisa Clough (Lachri Fine Art) whom is an increadible artist and has many online classes.

And finally, I did some relaxing with my own stumpwork embrodery project designed by Di van Niekerk.

Plant Leaf Textile Rectangle Botany


I am getting close to finishing my panel 4 of my sampler. There are those who can't understand why I find something seemingly so tedious as 'relaxing' but I assure you, it is and I love to do it. It is very relaxing for me to follow the directions of others (especially when they are as well-written as Di's) and not think and just "do".

Flower Plant Purple Petal Creative arts


I am currently working on assembling my first original EMBROIDERY KIT that I will be offering. I decided on starting simply, but there is still a great deal of time and planning involved. I finally made my order to John James Needles in the UK for what I think I will be using for my kits. I want the kits to be pretty much 'all inclusive' of fabric and specialty threads and I plan to dye some of the fabric myself. The only thing they won't include is the DMC threads, although I am leaning toward including small swatches so they can be easily found and matched. DMC threads come in over 500 colors and types and while I own the full set of them, there is no way I can stock them for kits. I have no idea if I will sell one kit or a hundred and it is just too big of an undertaking for me to stock something that is so readily available or substituted. I will, however be including the beautiful specialty threads from places like Valdani and the hand-dyed ribbon and fabrics, beads, embellishments and needles. I think this will work fine. You will have to come back to see. I will certainly blog about that when ready.

I am afraid I have written another long post today. I suppose that is expected after several days of missing. I don't know sometimes whether it is better to hold off until I am well on my way working on things or keep you posted as I go. You need to let me know on that.

Keith also has a new pattern on the site that he wanted me to show you.

Handwriting Rectangle Font Writing Art


I love his SLDK669 Camping Rules Sectional Plaque and I think it will be a big hit for the summer. You can order the pattern on our site if you are interested.

I hope you had a great weekend. I look forward to working more on these projects that I mentioned, as well as starting some new ones. I will try to keep up with you here as I create. Variety is the spice of life, they say. My life is very spicy, apparently!

I was thrilled at the response from my new Wordpress account. I hope you like having choices in which to read my posts and I encourage you to comment often so that I am seen more on the web. I try to answer as quickly as I can.

I wish you a wonderful week ahead. Happy Monday to you!
 

Attachments

#12,632 ·
Through Artist's Eyes

Is there such a thing as loving too many things about life?

As I wake up each morning and try to plan out my day, I think my biggest problem that I am encounter on most days is which direction to head.

One tends to view others that are self-employed as someone who gets to sit on the beach most of the time, drinking a tropical drink with a wide-brimmed straw hat and wondering where they will spend their next holiday. When I come across people that have that mentality (yes - they do exist) I just smile to myself. They absolutely have no idea.

The majority of successful entrepreneurs that I see are those that absolutely love what they are doing. While making a living at your business is a true necessity, I find that if you don't truly enjoy what you are doing, it will be very difficult, if not impossible to succeed.

Art, designing and creating in general is something that many love to do. I remember being very young when I decided that I wanted to do something that involves being creative with my life. When I was in university, I even toyed with the idea of being a commercial graphic designer as a career. Coming from Chicago, I was familiar with names like Leo Burnett and Ogilvy & Mather and I used to dream about working in a corner office with a wall of windows overlooking the city. This was long before "Mad Men" was ever even a thought. It was back in the early 80's when I attended a state university (SIU). I even took some art classes while there, which only fueled my desire to create.

However, I soon found that I didn't have the stomach for it. I am not fond of competition and found myself feeling stressed out and nervous when doing something that needed to directly compete with another's work. As I look back on this so many years later, I do realize that every day I am competing with other designers, but it is in a much different way now. While people still pick and choose whether they want to use my designs for their own creating or not, because of the nature of how my work is marketed and presented it doesn't feel like direction competition.

The internet has provided a stage for all designers to display and sell their ideas. Some do well and others fail. The amount of behind the scenes work is tremendous. Besides the usual and perhaps more mundane tasks of bookkeeping, packaging and producing and shipping orders, there is the additional and very time-consuming duties of social networking, building and maintaining websites and online shops, and taking care of customers. As the business grows, any one of those aspects of the business can in itself become a full-time job. But usually these daily tasks are carried out by one or (if we are lucky) two people. It doesn't leave much time for designing.

I suppose I am discussing this today because it has been on my mind. As I look to the calendar, and we are already well into May, I think about all the new designs I want to create and I wonder why I haven't created more. I realize that this can be a very self-defeating position, as I know that just about every hour of every day, I am busy working on something for the business. Keith can attest to that, and I fear sometimes that I am becoming one of those boring workaholics that can't leave her job for a second. I think most of you who know me know that most of my waking hours are spent thinking about one or more aspects of the business. Whether it is planning a new project or working on an existing one, it is rare that I am doing something completely unrelated to art and design. But is that really bad?

In the early days, I wondered how the designers I admired kept coming up with fresh, new ideas. I even attended classes on designing, which taught us to look at the world through different eyes. Little by little I have trained myself to see things not only as they are, but filled with possibilities for other things. An iron gate for example doesn't just look like a gate to me. I notice the curves of the ironwork and think of how that concept can be applied to a design for the scroll saw. I look at trees or animals or inanimate objects and think of how they can be portrayed in different media, such as paint, wood, or fiber. This wasn't always the case. It was only through training my own mind to look at things this way that I learned to see the world differently. I now fully understand the term "seeing things through artist's eyes."

I often am asked how I keep coming up with ideas for new projects and designs. It is difficult to answer that, because it isn't just one thing we do. It is only through years of training ourselves to see the world differently and loving what we do so much that it becomes part of our being and make up. I don't think about looking for ideas. They come to me every time I open my eyes. I like that.

Because of this phenomenon, I think I am a much happier person. Since I spend so much time focusing on positive things like creating, it leaves little time for worry and despair. I am not saying I don't have my sad moments - as I am as human as anyone else, but I do believe that by concentrating on things that are in general a positive force in my life, I am truly happier than most I see around me.

I'll take it.

I finished up my seahorse pattern for the online article yesterday. I was pleased at how it came out. I submitted nine pages of instructions with 34 step-by-step photos for the article. (One thing I love about digital publication is that there are few limits on space. We no longer have to confine our instructions to one or two pages, as we did in print.) It isn't that the project is so difficult, but it is rather long because I geared the instructions to beginners and I wanted to thoroughly explain every single step. Because of the details, it will make the process easy. Really.

Snake Organism Dinosaur Art Font


I am very proud of finishing this piece up. I will be even more thrilled when I see others recreate it. Not only do I enjoy making things myself, I also love sharing my designs with others and hoping that they can experience some of the joy I feel when doing so. With things the way they are in this world, I am happy if what I do can contribute somewhat positively in the lives of others. Even if it is just for a little while.

I am thrilled that I am busy and I am fortunate in that I get to do what makes me happy. I love looking at life through my 'artist's eyes'. While I may never have a large bank account, it somehow doesn't matter. My health is good, I live comfortably, and don't have the burden of huge debts that I see plague so many others. Each day is a new adventure to me and I embrace it with my heart and soul. Most of all, I appreciate all of you, my followers, customers and friends, for allowing me to live this kind of life. Without you, it wouldn't be possible. That is one thing I never forget.
 

Attachments

#12,633 ·
Through Artist's Eyes

Is there such a thing as loving too many things about life?

As I wake up each morning and try to plan out my day, I think my biggest problem that I am encounter on most days is which direction to head.

One tends to view others that are self-employed as someone who gets to sit on the beach most of the time, drinking a tropical drink with a wide-brimmed straw hat and wondering where they will spend their next holiday. When I come across people that have that mentality (yes - they do exist) I just smile to myself. They absolutely have no idea.

The majority of successful entrepreneurs that I see are those that absolutely love what they are doing. While making a living at your business is a true necessity, I find that if you don't truly enjoy what you are doing, it will be very difficult, if not impossible to succeed.

Art, designing and creating in general is something that many love to do. I remember being very young when I decided that I wanted to do something that involves being creative with my life. When I was in university, I even toyed with the idea of being a commercial graphic designer as a career. Coming from Chicago, I was familiar with names like Leo Burnett and Ogilvy & Mather and I used to dream about working in a corner office with a wall of windows overlooking the city. This was long before "Mad Men" was ever even a thought. It was back in the early 80's when I attended a state university (SIU). I even took some art classes while there, which only fueled my desire to create.

However, I soon found that I didn't have the stomach for it. I am not fond of competition and found myself feeling stressed out and nervous when doing something that needed to directly compete with another's work. As I look back on this so many years later, I do realize that every day I am competing with other designers, but it is in a much different way now. While people still pick and choose whether they want to use my designs for their own creating or not, because of the nature of how my work is marketed and presented it doesn't feel like direction competition.

The internet has provided a stage for all designers to display and sell their ideas. Some do well and others fail. The amount of behind the scenes work is tremendous. Besides the usual and perhaps more mundane tasks of bookkeeping, packaging and producing and shipping orders, there is the additional and very time-consuming duties of social networking, building and maintaining websites and online shops, and taking care of customers. As the business grows, any one of those aspects of the business can in itself become a full-time job. But usually these daily tasks are carried out by one or (if we are lucky) two people. It doesn't leave much time for designing.

I suppose I am discussing this today because it has been on my mind. As I look to the calendar, and we are already well into May, I think about all the new designs I want to create and I wonder why I haven't created more. I realize that this can be a very self-defeating position, as I know that just about every hour of every day, I am busy working on something for the business. Keith can attest to that, and I fear sometimes that I am becoming one of those boring workaholics that can't leave her job for a second. I think most of you who know me know that most of my waking hours are spent thinking about one or more aspects of the business. Whether it is planning a new project or working on an existing one, it is rare that I am doing something completely unrelated to art and design. But is that really bad?

In the early days, I wondered how the designers I admired kept coming up with fresh, new ideas. I even attended classes on designing, which taught us to look at the world through different eyes. Little by little I have trained myself to see things not only as they are, but filled with possibilities for other things. An iron gate for example doesn't just look like a gate to me. I notice the curves of the ironwork and think of how that concept can be applied to a design for the scroll saw. I look at trees or animals or inanimate objects and think of how they can be portrayed in different media, such as paint, wood, or fiber. This wasn't always the case. It was only through training my own mind to look at things this way that I learned to see the world differently. I now fully understand the term "seeing things through artist's eyes."

I often am asked how I keep coming up with ideas for new projects and designs. It is difficult to answer that, because it isn't just one thing we do. It is only through years of training ourselves to see the world differently and loving what we do so much that it becomes part of our being and make up. I don't think about looking for ideas. They come to me every time I open my eyes. I like that.

Because of this phenomenon, I think I am a much happier person. Since I spend so much time focusing on positive things like creating, it leaves little time for worry and despair. I am not saying I don't have my sad moments - as I am as human as anyone else, but I do believe that by concentrating on things that are in general a positive force in my life, I am truly happier than most I see around me.

I'll take it.

I finished up my seahorse pattern for the online article yesterday. I was pleased at how it came out. I submitted nine pages of instructions with 34 step-by-step photos for the article. (One thing I love about digital publication is that there are few limits on space. We no longer have to confine our instructions to one or two pages, as we did in print.) It isn't that the project is so difficult, but it is rather long because I geared the instructions to beginners and I wanted to thoroughly explain every single step. Because of the details, it will make the process easy. Really.

Snake Organism Dinosaur Art Font


I am very proud of finishing this piece up. I will be even more thrilled when I see others recreate it. Not only do I enjoy making things myself, I also love sharing my designs with others and hoping that they can experience some of the joy I feel when doing so. With things the way they are in this world, I am happy if what I do can contribute somewhat positively in the lives of others. Even if it is just for a little while.

I am thrilled that I am busy and I am fortunate in that I get to do what makes me happy. I love looking at life through my 'artist's eyes'. While I may never have a large bank account, it somehow doesn't matter. My health is good, I live comfortably, and don't have the burden of huge debts that I see plague so many others. Each day is a new adventure to me and I embrace it with my heart and soul. Most of all, I appreciate all of you, my followers, customers and friends, for allowing me to live this kind of life. Without you, it wouldn't be possible. That is one thing I never forget.
It's great that you have found your passion and are able to make a living from it. Sadly not everyone takes that chance or gets that chance. Enjoy the journey.
 

Attachments

#12,635 ·
Recovery

Yesterday was a tough day. Even though everything turned out alright, it was very emotionally draining. I am very happy to have it behind me, and I look forward to moving on ahead from here.

Nothing really tragic happened, but my dear kitty Pancakes needed to have some oral surgery done. I realize that many of you may think that this is an 'extravagance', but I assure you it is not. Any one of you who has suffered tooth pain should realize the importance and necessity of something like this. To me, it is the only option.

About a month or so ago, I noticed that my kitty Pancakes had changed his eating habits. While cats are known to do this (they love a particular type of food until you purchase a large quantity of it) I suspected that this was somehow different than the usual games they play. Pancakes was always acting hungry, yet when we fed him, he only took a few bites and then left the bowl. A half hour or so later, he would again dance around and beg for food as cats do. While this happens from time to time with all of them, this episode was particularly consistent, and it seemed to go on for a week or more.

One day when I was getting frustrated with him, something told me to check his teeth. As I peered into his mouth, I saw that his teeth were loaded with tartar and both gum lines over his back teeth were red and inflamed. Not good. I even compared them to the other two cats' gums by looking at their teeth. Both had a little tartar, but the gums were pinkish white and nice.

I immediately called the vet, but with Keith's mom's surgery just days away and still no car for me (another story for another day) I wasn't able to get an appointment until last week, which was about three weeks from when I called. It is funny how all these things come at you at once sometimes.

I brought him in for his appointment last week and it was confirmed that he needed a "dental" surgery to remove the tartar and see what else was going on. Fortunately, I had scheduled that when I initially called just over a month ago, so I didn't have to wait long. Yesterday was his day scheduled for surgery.

Needless to say, the previous night was not restful. I probably got about two hours of sleep total, as I get nervous any time anyone has to have anesthetic. I was the same way a couple of weeks ago when Keith's mom had her knee surgery. There is something about getting 'knocked out' that is hard for me. I am not sure why, but it is a fear I need to overcome.

As we drove to the vet yesterday morning, I couldn't help but feel that I was abandoning him. The ride is about 45 minutes and while we keep a carrier for transporting him from the car to the office, he sits on my lap for the ride. It is more comforting to him, I think.

He stayed in "ostrich mode" most of the time, burying his head under my arm. Every once in a while he looked up to see the passing trees through the car window, and immediately buried his head again. It is sad to see them go through this anxiety. I wish they understood.

After leaving him off in the early morning, Keith and I went home to sleep again. Neither of us had a good night and we were both so exhausted that we ached. Once we awoke, we were out the door again. We had time to grab a quick lunch and do a couple of errands before picking Pancakes up in town. It helped the time pass quickly.

When we got him, we found out that his one tooth was indeed infected and they had to remove it. This was one of the large, jagged molars in the back and he required several stitches. I felt bad for him, thinking of the pain he was suffering, and I was very, very happy that I thought enough to bring him in. It was a bit costly, but he was well cared for and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Part of the responsibility of having pets is to make sure they are safe and comfortable. They are certainly like family members to me.

Pancakes will be on anti-biotics for another week. He still isn't eating much, but when I sat down to draw last night, my muse was right there next to me:

Cat Felidae Wood Carnivore Whiskers


This morning, he is still quiet and not quite himself, although he is snuggled up on my lap as I am writing as he usually is in the morning. He loves his 'grammie' and I love him. I hope he has many good years left, and at the age of 10, he should be with me for a while.

I made a little progress on my daffodil drawing, although I didn't work on it long:

Flower Plant Leaf Petal Rose


It still needs a lot of work and many more layers so I can blend it nice adn it won't look 'grainy'. I was still tired from the events and worries of the day, so I didn't work on it long, but I wanted to push the pile a little and at least accomplish something. I went to bed earlier than usual and I actually did sleep good.

Keith got some work done as well. He has a new set of plaque patterns for you all to enjoy:

Rectangle Font Publication Book cover Metal


He calls this one SLDK673 Faith, Hope, Love "Makes" pattern set for obvious reasons. You can click the link to get to it on our site.

I hope to get back to "normal" today. One would think that I had the surgery myself, as I felt so drained even last night after it was done. The older I get, the longer it takes to recover from some things that are somewhat emotional to me. I plan on cutting some new scroll saw designs out this weekend. Those of you who have been waiting for them have been extremely patient. I hope you like them when finished.

I just realized that today is Friday the 13th. I am not superstitious, but I love to see all the photos of the beautiful black cats that people post on days like today. I may post a couple myself, featuring my lovely black kitty, Coco. I wish you all a wonderful day and a great weekend ahead. The weather here is slowly warming up, and I am looking forward to the warm summer days ahead.

Happy Friday to you all. I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Thank you, too for those that wished Pancakes a speedy recovery. I know he appreciates it (as I do) from the bottom of his heart.
 

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#12,636 ·
Recovery

Yesterday was a tough day. Even though everything turned out alright, it was very emotionally draining. I am very happy to have it behind me, and I look forward to moving on ahead from here.

Nothing really tragic happened, but my dear kitty Pancakes needed to have some oral surgery done. I realize that many of you may think that this is an 'extravagance', but I assure you it is not. Any one of you who has suffered tooth pain should realize the importance and necessity of something like this. To me, it is the only option.

About a month or so ago, I noticed that my kitty Pancakes had changed his eating habits. While cats are known to do this (they love a particular type of food until you purchase a large quantity of it) I suspected that this was somehow different than the usual games they play. Pancakes was always acting hungry, yet when we fed him, he only took a few bites and then left the bowl. A half hour or so later, he would again dance around and beg for food as cats do. While this happens from time to time with all of them, this episode was particularly consistent, and it seemed to go on for a week or more.

One day when I was getting frustrated with him, something told me to check his teeth. As I peered into his mouth, I saw that his teeth were loaded with tartar and both gum lines over his back teeth were red and inflamed. Not good. I even compared them to the other two cats' gums by looking at their teeth. Both had a little tartar, but the gums were pinkish white and nice.

I immediately called the vet, but with Keith's mom's surgery just days away and still no car for me (another story for another day) I wasn't able to get an appointment until last week, which was about three weeks from when I called. It is funny how all these things come at you at once sometimes.

I brought him in for his appointment last week and it was confirmed that he needed a "dental" surgery to remove the tartar and see what else was going on. Fortunately, I had scheduled that when I initially called just over a month ago, so I didn't have to wait long. Yesterday was his day scheduled for surgery.

Needless to say, the previous night was not restful. I probably got about two hours of sleep total, as I get nervous any time anyone has to have anesthetic. I was the same way a couple of weeks ago when Keith's mom had her knee surgery. There is something about getting 'knocked out' that is hard for me. I am not sure why, but it is a fear I need to overcome.

As we drove to the vet yesterday morning, I couldn't help but feel that I was abandoning him. The ride is about 45 minutes and while we keep a carrier for transporting him from the car to the office, he sits on my lap for the ride. It is more comforting to him, I think.

He stayed in "ostrich mode" most of the time, burying his head under my arm. Every once in a while he looked up to see the passing trees through the car window, and immediately buried his head again. It is sad to see them go through this anxiety. I wish they understood.

After leaving him off in the early morning, Keith and I went home to sleep again. Neither of us had a good night and we were both so exhausted that we ached. Once we awoke, we were out the door again. We had time to grab a quick lunch and do a couple of errands before picking Pancakes up in town. It helped the time pass quickly.

When we got him, we found out that his one tooth was indeed infected and they had to remove it. This was one of the large, jagged molars in the back and he required several stitches. I felt bad for him, thinking of the pain he was suffering, and I was very, very happy that I thought enough to bring him in. It was a bit costly, but he was well cared for and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Part of the responsibility of having pets is to make sure they are safe and comfortable. They are certainly like family members to me.

Pancakes will be on anti-biotics for another week. He still isn't eating much, but when I sat down to draw last night, my muse was right there next to me:

Cat Felidae Wood Carnivore Whiskers


This morning, he is still quiet and not quite himself, although he is snuggled up on my lap as I am writing as he usually is in the morning. He loves his 'grammie' and I love him. I hope he has many good years left, and at the age of 10, he should be with me for a while.

I made a little progress on my daffodil drawing, although I didn't work on it long:

Flower Plant Leaf Petal Rose


It still needs a lot of work and many more layers so I can blend it nice adn it won't look 'grainy'. I was still tired from the events and worries of the day, so I didn't work on it long, but I wanted to push the pile a little and at least accomplish something. I went to bed earlier than usual and I actually did sleep good.

Keith got some work done as well. He has a new set of plaque patterns for you all to enjoy:

Rectangle Font Publication Book cover Metal


He calls this one SLDK673 Faith, Hope, Love "Makes" pattern set for obvious reasons. You can click the link to get to it on our site.

I hope to get back to "normal" today. One would think that I had the surgery myself, as I felt so drained even last night after it was done. The older I get, the longer it takes to recover from some things that are somewhat emotional to me. I plan on cutting some new scroll saw designs out this weekend. Those of you who have been waiting for them have been extremely patient. I hope you like them when finished.

I just realized that today is Friday the 13th. I am not superstitious, but I love to see all the photos of the beautiful black cats that people post on days like today. I may post a couple myself, featuring my lovely black kitty, Coco. I wish you all a wonderful day and a great weekend ahead. The weather here is slowly warming up, and I am looking forward to the warm summer days ahead.

Happy Friday to you all. I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Thank you, too for those that wished Pancakes a speedy recovery. I know he appreciates it (as I do) from the bottom of his heart.
Happy to hear the positive outcome for Pancakes. Did you put his tooth under his pillow? ;)
 

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#12,638 ·
Monday Madness

I am going to try to keep this post on the short side. As usual, I am doing many different things and I am running in several different directions. The weekend was busy and full and I have lots of new things that I am working on that I will be sharing in the near future. At last count, I am working with (I think!) FIVE other designers in one capacity or another on some really cool projects. These collaborations are in addition to my own work in my own many directions, so you can imagine how my head just wants to explode! While some days it may not seem like I am doing much, you can rest assured that it appears that way only because I am not yet at liberty to speak (or write, if you will) about the many fun adventures that I am participating in. But when the time is right, I will show each respective project and I am sure that you will be delighted and inspired by them all! You just have to be patient!

Keith has been busy as well. This weekend he finished up a drawing and made some sawdust and is in the process of putting together another great project. Here is a little teaser he prepared for you all:

Wood Hardwood Natural material Wood stain Flooring


He should be finishing it up in a day or two and I think it is something that is very cool. I will definitely keep you posted on when the pattern will be available.

My little grand-kitty Pancakes is still recovering from his oral surgery last week. He had his ups and downs this weekend, and had a rather rough day on Saturday. He slept by my side most of the day while I spent it scroll sawing out wood orders and also painting:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


I don't listen to those who say cats are not affectionate. He was glued to me this entire weekend (even more so than usual) and hasn't left my side. He does seem to be getting a bit better though, and yesterday even tried to help me paint:

Table Dishware Wood Carnivore Felidae


Silly Pancakes! Look at his green footie! I suppose that is the only way a kitty can paint when he doesn't have thumbs . . .

One last thing that I wanted to mention was that in only two weeks, my seahorse watercolor pattern will be available over at Interactive Artist Magazine. Just LOOK at all the beautiful projects they have available for June and July!

Plant Bird Flower Organism Happy


This is one of my favorite online sources for painting and each issue is filled with wonderful articles, videos and project patterns. You can also get TWO FREE MONTHS added on to your subscription by using the promotion code FREE when you join. I hope you stop over to their site (follow the link) and see all they have to offer. I don't think you will regret it!

Well, that is all the news that I can share for today. Really, there is more, but I have a lot to accomplish yet. The mail has to go out and I have just about finished going through my emails. I like to start clean on Monday and start the week out fresh.

I promise that I will be unveiling lots of fun surprises in the near future. Right now, there are so many great things I have in the works and I think ti will be fun to show them all as they come into fruition. You will all see that I haven't been as lazy as you thought I was. :)

Happy Monday to you all! I wish you a week of fun and inspiration!
 

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#12,639 ·
Monday Madness

I am going to try to keep this post on the short side. As usual, I am doing many different things and I am running in several different directions. The weekend was busy and full and I have lots of new things that I am working on that I will be sharing in the near future. At last count, I am working with (I think!) FIVE other designers in one capacity or another on some really cool projects. These collaborations are in addition to my own work in my own many directions, so you can imagine how my head just wants to explode! While some days it may not seem like I am doing much, you can rest assured that it appears that way only because I am not yet at liberty to speak (or write, if you will) about the many fun adventures that I am participating in. But when the time is right, I will show each respective project and I am sure that you will be delighted and inspired by them all! You just have to be patient!

Keith has been busy as well. This weekend he finished up a drawing and made some sawdust and is in the process of putting together another great project. Here is a little teaser he prepared for you all:

Wood Hardwood Natural material Wood stain Flooring


He should be finishing it up in a day or two and I think it is something that is very cool. I will definitely keep you posted on when the pattern will be available.

My little grand-kitty Pancakes is still recovering from his oral surgery last week. He had his ups and downs this weekend, and had a rather rough day on Saturday. He slept by my side most of the day while I spent it scroll sawing out wood orders and also painting:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


I don't listen to those who say cats are not affectionate. He was glued to me this entire weekend (even more so than usual) and hasn't left my side. He does seem to be getting a bit better though, and yesterday even tried to help me paint:

Table Dishware Wood Carnivore Felidae


Silly Pancakes! Look at his green footie! I suppose that is the only way a kitty can paint when he doesn't have thumbs . . .

One last thing that I wanted to mention was that in only two weeks, my seahorse watercolor pattern will be available over at Interactive Artist Magazine. Just LOOK at all the beautiful projects they have available for June and July!

Plant Bird Flower Organism Happy


This is one of my favorite online sources for painting and each issue is filled with wonderful articles, videos and project patterns. You can also get TWO FREE MONTHS added on to your subscription by using the promotion code FREE when you join. I hope you stop over to their site (follow the link) and see all they have to offer. I don't think you will regret it!

Well, that is all the news that I can share for today. Really, there is more, but I have a lot to accomplish yet. The mail has to go out and I have just about finished going through my emails. I like to start clean on Monday and start the week out fresh.

I promise that I will be unveiling lots of fun surprises in the near future. Right now, there are so many great things I have in the works and I think ti will be fun to show them all as they come into fruition. You will all see that I haven't been as lazy as you thought I was. :)

Happy Monday to you all! I wish you a week of fun and inspiration!
Fantastic! Ya'll keep rolling forward.
 

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#12,645 ·
Choosing a Focus

As I sit here this morning, I can't help but feel content and happy about my life. Certainly things are not 'perfect' all the time - that would be unnatural - but when I look at things overall, the important things are going well, and I can hardly complain about trivial things that don't really matter in the big picture of my life. My loved ones are all healthy, (Both those with and without tails!) our business is doing well enough to keep it going, and we are looking forward to moving to a beautiful new (to us) home in a few weeks where we can spread our wings and really fly. Yes! There is much to be grateful for in life!

That doesn't mean that bad or irritating things don't happen. I have my low days like anyone. I am still waiting (again!) for my car to be finished so I can drive again. (Long, long story - but nothing that I want to waste cyber-space in sharing. It wouldn't do any good except to focus on the negative, and I refuse to do that.) I experience little 'hiccups' in my days like everyone else. I just choose to refocus my thoughts on the positive things in my life, and the things that I can control instead of what I cannot. There are many more good things in life than bad, and you would all be amazed at how good it makes you feel to spend your time on those positive things and people instead of negative things and people that try to bring you down. It is like a tonic.

With that said, I have some wonderful and positive things to share with you today. . .

Being an artist that is active in social media, I am very fortunate to be in touch with many, many wonderful and creative people. Not only am I friends with many artists that I have immense respect for, but also with people who appreciate art and creativity and the process of making our world a bit more beautiful, one creation at a time. It is truly a joy and pleasure to follow these creative souls and not only am I in awe of their work, but I am also inspired by it.

Lisa Halton Stucky is one of those people. I have been friends with her over at Facebook for a couple of year now. We "met" through some other social groups of artists and from the moment I saw her work, I absolutely loved it. (You can visit and "like" her Facebook page, Winding River Artworks here: https://www.facebook.com/Winding-River-Artworks-444505245737168/?pnref=lhc

Lisa is a fabulous artist, and usually when she shows what she is working on, she has photos of a tabled FILLED with amazing pieces. I can't believe that one person can be so prolific and produce the quality of work that she does at such an amazing rate! I don't believe she uses patterns, and no two pieces are ever alike. It is the kind of art that I love, as it is filled with the personality and love of the creator.

When Lisa posts her pieces, they usually sell out within minutes. (And no wonder!) I had tried for quite a while to acquire something that she had created, but it always seemed that they were scooped up too quickly by others. Last autumn I got lucky though, and I was able to purchase a couple of beautiful candle holders for Halloween that Lisa made. I love autumn and Halloween and the colors and beautiful primative designs she made were just beautiful. I was so thrilled that I was able to squeak in and order these lovely pieces. It made my day!

I had told Lisa that there was no rush in sending them, as I knew how busy she was and it was close to the end of the season anyway. Time passed and I actually forgot about them with all the other things that were going on in my life. I didn't even think of them.

Then one day a week or so ago, I received a message from Lisa with an apology. She had put the candle holders aside and had recently 'found' them, realizing that she never sent them off. She was mortified, but I assured her that all was fine. We are both busy every day and sometimes life gets in the way. They would have been packed away anyway. She immediately sent them to me and yesterday when I got to the post office, there was a large box awaiting me. I LOVE getting things in the mail, and I was so anxious to see them in person. Not only did she send me the two candle holders, but also some sweet 'extras' including Lemonhead candies (which I love and can't find here in Canada) and some extra ornaments. Look at how amazing they are!

Candle Wax Candle holder Material property Tints and shades


I am SO excited about them! Here is a close up of the painting:

Orange Art Toy Lamp Ceramic


The ornaments are equally lovely and made from gourds!

Hand Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Ornament Christmas decoration


Of course, there is a kitty on a pumpkin:

Christmas ornament Toy Holiday ornament Ornament Plant


And a ghost . . .

Food Cone Orange Party hat Finger


and what I will call a "Creature of the Night."

Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Ornament Natural material Toy


Aren't they all FABULOUS?!?

Sculpture Toy Artifact Hat Art


I can't imagine the hours of work each one took! Won't they look amazing in my new place, too?? I am already planning how I am going to decorate!

Oh, the world can be a fun place, ladies and gentlemen! As with so many things, our lives are what we make them. While you can always find something to gripe about, the same is true in that there is always something that we can be grateful for. It depends on which way we want to look at things and where we want to spend our time.

People often ask how I stay so positive and happy all the time. If I were to give advice on to be happier, I would say that the main thing that I do is to focus on good and happy things. Even if you don't feel that you make a difference, you need to believe that you can. My goal for a long time has been to make at least one person smile or feel better about something each day. Just one. It doesn't mean giving false compliments or being fake, it means looking for the good and positive in people and situations and focusing on that and pointing it out where someone may not remember it is there. Doing a kindness or showing support for others isn't difficult to do. It costs nothing to show kindness and compassion towards those around us. While it may seem small to you, it can mean the world to others. And that is how we can change our world and life one little step at a time.

We never know what hardships people are going through. My old analogy of people being like icebergs still holds here. We only see the small part that they allow us to see and the majority of their makeup is hidden. We don't know what battles they are fighting and what pain they may be experiencing. While it doesn't allow them to be mean or cruel to others, I find that the best way to deal with those who are unkind is to walk away from them. We can't 'fix' the world, but we can support others in a positive way and allow them to find their own way. No one can do it for them. If they aren't receptive to others, we can't allow ourselves to be pulled into their despair. There are plenty of others who appreciate our love, kindness and support.

I hope you enjoyed seeing Lisa's beautiful work. I also hope you hop over to her page and show her some love. She is not only an amazing artist, but also a kind and loving friend.

No wonder I am so happy.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. I hope you find some wonderfully positive things to focus on and make you smile. I know I will.

Sculpture Statue Artifact Serveware Art


Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

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#12,646 ·
Update and Discount Coupon

I am going to keep this post quick today, as I have some projects that I want to work on this weekend, but I did want to mention to you all that we once again updated the website and we are also having a sale coupon for those of us who subscribe to our Mailing List. I realize that I am not the best sales person in the world, but I thought that I would let you all know because there are so many of you that are new to our site and I want to give everyone a fair shot at the discount.

In our newsletter, we have a coupon code that will allow you all 15% off of your order. That includes everything you order from the site - including custom patterns and wood pieces. We don't do this too often, because we try to give the best prices we can to begin with, but we do like to 'treat' our customers to something extra special every now and then and we feel that since they took the time to sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter, we want to give them access to something a little special. We hope you appreciate it.

You can sign up at the link above and I will manually send you out a copy of the newsletter with the code in it. It may take an hour or so because I am doing it manually, but I will do it as soon as I see it. The coupon is only good for a limited time (probably until the next newsletter is sent) so it is a good time to stock up on the things you want. I hope you enjoy it.

While you are visiting, you can see all the new things we have available, like this fun plaque pattern from Keith (SLDK669 - Camping Sectional Plaque pattern):

Handwriting Rectangle Font Writing Art


We also have a whole set of new patterns on sale on our Pattern Specials page. This month's sale is called "Not Moosing Around" and all of our Moose themed patterns are discounted. (You can get the 15% discount IN ADDITION to the already discounted price! It makes them a pretty good value.)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and decide to stop by. I will be busy working in several different directions and I hope to have some new things up on the site soon. In the mean time, have a great weekend and enjoy the spring.

Happy Saturday to you all!
 

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#12,647 ·
A New Series of Designs - Almost Ready!

It seems like I haven't blogged forever. Even though I have only missed for a week, it feels like much more time has passed than that. It has been over six years since I began posting nearly every day, and breaking away from that routine has been difficult, but I feel for now it is necessary.

We are going though many changes at this time. Keith and I have made the decision to move into a larger place and there is much preparation that needs to be done to make our move go smoothly. For the past seven years, we have run our business our of a small, one bedroom apartment. We were fortunate to have some closet space, but in order to do wood cutting or other types of project work, we needed to clean off all the counters and set up our 'shop' in the kitchen/living area.

We made it work, but as our business continues to grow and as I spread my wings in several directions and we both become even busier, we realize that the time spent setting up and cleaning afterword for each of our various tasks is taking valuable time away from our creative process. It is just time to move on.

We found a nice, large home for rent just down the block. I felt this was ideal because I love living near the river. The 'neighborhood' here is filled with trees and large properties that span into the forested areas around us and offer a setting that is peaceful, beautiful and inspirational. I am so happy we will still have that.

The people who own the house are wonderful as well. They are long time family friends of Keith's family, which means there is some history there and mutual trust. Upon meeting them several months ago, I immediately felt that things were 'right' between us and I think we all look forward to a wonderful and long relationship. They have purchased a home about 2 hours drive away, but they want to keep this home in the family. They entrust us with their history and the roots in caring for thier home while we are there, and we like the long term relationship that they proposed. It is a perfect match.

But as the time is coming to make the actual move, much preparation needs to be done. Keith and I are having a grand time planning our living and work spaces. Both of us love being organized and since we will have probably four times the room as we have now, we are both thrilled and excited to enter this new venture. I certainly will be blogging about it in the future, as we each are developing our own personal work spaces and studios/shops in which we will spend our time.

For myself - I will have a large room to call a studio of my own. I already have purchased many of the furniture and storage items that will be in it and I can't wait to see it all come together. It will be bright, efficient and beautiful all at once, and I hope to create some of my best work yet in such a wonderful environment. To say I am beyond excited is truly an understatement.

But for now, we are in the planning/shopping stage, which may not be so interesting. We look to be fully moved in by the first of July, and the month ahead will certainly be busy. I am not sure how much I will post between then and now, as I am trying to eek in some 'real work' in between the planning and shopping and organizing and preparing everything here for the move. The days are very full, but I am afraid I have little to show for it in the line of design work.

I DO have some new things planned though, and I will be working on them as much as I am able. I am nearly ready to unveil this next series of scroll saw patterns, and I should have the first ones up within the next week. Here is a quick peek at what I am working on . . .

Dishware Table Art Cartoon Creative arts


I am calling this series "Sheila Landry Designs Elements" and it will consist of separate components which will be presented in several different ways in each pattern so that my customers can use them as they see fit. What you are seeing in the photo are part of what is available from the first TWO patterns. The robins all come in one pattern and the flowers all come in another. Each pattern packet will have four separate views of a certain subject (i.e. "robin" or "crocus") presented as both overlay pieces or scrolled right into the background, and they will fit convienently into four shaped frames. The frames will also come in a single packet, with a circle, oval, square and rectangle. What you are seeing here is the "basic" frame set. More elaborate frames will follow.

The idea of this series is that any of the components from the SLDE groupings will be able to be mixed and matched to work together. You can cut the pieces as overlays or inlays. You can leave them natural or tint them with paint if you like. You can use them not only in the frames, but on other plaques, box lids, etc. as you needs require. They are really something that allows you to customize and design their own unique projects, using the elements provided.

I got the idea to do this type of series because so many come to us with special requests. In trying to decide what to create next, I had trouble figuring what to do first. Should I do a robin with a crocus? Or a hummingbird with a fuschia? Or a robin with a daisy? What shape should I make them? Should I make a box or a napkin holder or a plaque? It is so hard to figure sometimes what people will want. This allows the customer to fine tune the designs to their own desires and that of their own customers (for those who create things to sell.)

I am still in the process of creating the general idea booklet that will accompany this series of designs. In it I will offer basic instructions and suggestions as to how they can be used. I hope this will only be the beginning for most of my customers and they will take these elements and run with them to create their own unique projects. I think it will be lots of fun.

As with anything new, it is taking a little time to get things launched in the right direction. But after spending the weekend cutting and preparing these first few designs, I think I am on the right track. I think I have a winner here and I can see so many wonderful subject matters that will work well with this concept (hummingbirds, horses, different flowers and backgrounds and even different frame shapes and designs to name a few . . .) I think it will be a wonderful new adventure.

So I ask that you bear with me over the next few weeks. In addition to these designs, I have some other projects that I am developing both with other artists and for myself. while my posts here may be spotty over the next few weeks, I hope to come and blog when I have something substantial to show you, and as I get settled in my new home, I certainly will get back in the habit of blogging on a daily basis.

I hope you like this idea and I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I am making lists of patterns to follow in this series and I can see being busy for a long, long time.

Flower Dishware Purple Textile Plant


I hope you come along for the ride! :)

Happy Monday to you all!
 

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#12,648 ·
A New Series of Designs - Almost Ready!

It seems like I haven't blogged forever. Even though I have only missed for a week, it feels like much more time has passed than that. It has been over six years since I began posting nearly every day, and breaking away from that routine has been difficult, but I feel for now it is necessary.

We are going though many changes at this time. Keith and I have made the decision to move into a larger place and there is much preparation that needs to be done to make our move go smoothly. For the past seven years, we have run our business our of a small, one bedroom apartment. We were fortunate to have some closet space, but in order to do wood cutting or other types of project work, we needed to clean off all the counters and set up our 'shop' in the kitchen/living area.

We made it work, but as our business continues to grow and as I spread my wings in several directions and we both become even busier, we realize that the time spent setting up and cleaning afterword for each of our various tasks is taking valuable time away from our creative process. It is just time to move on.

We found a nice, large home for rent just down the block. I felt this was ideal because I love living near the river. The 'neighborhood' here is filled with trees and large properties that span into the forested areas around us and offer a setting that is peaceful, beautiful and inspirational. I am so happy we will still have that.

The people who own the house are wonderful as well. They are long time family friends of Keith's family, which means there is some history there and mutual trust. Upon meeting them several months ago, I immediately felt that things were 'right' between us and I think we all look forward to a wonderful and long relationship. They have purchased a home about 2 hours drive away, but they want to keep this home in the family. They entrust us with their history and the roots in caring for thier home while we are there, and we like the long term relationship that they proposed. It is a perfect match.

But as the time is coming to make the actual move, much preparation needs to be done. Keith and I are having a grand time planning our living and work spaces. Both of us love being organized and since we will have probably four times the room as we have now, we are both thrilled and excited to enter this new venture. I certainly will be blogging about it in the future, as we each are developing our own personal work spaces and studios/shops in which we will spend our time.

For myself - I will have a large room to call a studio of my own. I already have purchased many of the furniture and storage items that will be in it and I can't wait to see it all come together. It will be bright, efficient and beautiful all at once, and I hope to create some of my best work yet in such a wonderful environment. To say I am beyond excited is truly an understatement.

But for now, we are in the planning/shopping stage, which may not be so interesting. We look to be fully moved in by the first of July, and the month ahead will certainly be busy. I am not sure how much I will post between then and now, as I am trying to eek in some 'real work' in between the planning and shopping and organizing and preparing everything here for the move. The days are very full, but I am afraid I have little to show for it in the line of design work.

I DO have some new things planned though, and I will be working on them as much as I am able. I am nearly ready to unveil this next series of scroll saw patterns, and I should have the first ones up within the next week. Here is a quick peek at what I am working on . . .

Dishware Table Art Cartoon Creative arts


I am calling this series "Sheila Landry Designs Elements" and it will consist of separate components which will be presented in several different ways in each pattern so that my customers can use them as they see fit. What you are seeing in the photo are part of what is available from the first TWO patterns. The robins all come in one pattern and the flowers all come in another. Each pattern packet will have four separate views of a certain subject (i.e. "robin" or "crocus") presented as both overlay pieces or scrolled right into the background, and they will fit convienently into four shaped frames. The frames will also come in a single packet, with a circle, oval, square and rectangle. What you are seeing here is the "basic" frame set. More elaborate frames will follow.

The idea of this series is that any of the components from the SLDE groupings will be able to be mixed and matched to work together. You can cut the pieces as overlays or inlays. You can leave them natural or tint them with paint if you like. You can use them not only in the frames, but on other plaques, box lids, etc. as you needs require. They are really something that allows you to customize and design their own unique projects, using the elements provided.

I got the idea to do this type of series because so many come to us with special requests. In trying to decide what to create next, I had trouble figuring what to do first. Should I do a robin with a crocus? Or a hummingbird with a fuschia? Or a robin with a daisy? What shape should I make them? Should I make a box or a napkin holder or a plaque? It is so hard to figure sometimes what people will want. This allows the customer to fine tune the designs to their own desires and that of their own customers (for those who create things to sell.)

I am still in the process of creating the general idea booklet that will accompany this series of designs. In it I will offer basic instructions and suggestions as to how they can be used. I hope this will only be the beginning for most of my customers and they will take these elements and run with them to create their own unique projects. I think it will be lots of fun.

As with anything new, it is taking a little time to get things launched in the right direction. But after spending the weekend cutting and preparing these first few designs, I think I am on the right track. I think I have a winner here and I can see so many wonderful subject matters that will work well with this concept (hummingbirds, horses, different flowers and backgrounds and even different frame shapes and designs to name a few . . .) I think it will be a wonderful new adventure.

So I ask that you bear with me over the next few weeks. In addition to these designs, I have some other projects that I am developing both with other artists and for myself. while my posts here may be spotty over the next few weeks, I hope to come and blog when I have something substantial to show you, and as I get settled in my new home, I certainly will get back in the habit of blogging on a daily basis.

I hope you like this idea and I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I am making lists of patterns to follow in this series and I can see being busy for a long, long time.

Flower Dishware Purple Textile Plant


I hope you come along for the ride! :)

Happy Monday to you all!
Sounds like a great improvement for you guys. I hope that it works out better than you expect . . . like really super!
 

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#12,655 ·
Creating for Relaxation

One of the most difficult things that I find about owning your own business is finding the "off switch." As someone who has been dedicated to creating and art for over 20 years now, working on art of business related things has not only become a habit, but also a lifestyle.

Many times my partner Keith mentions to me that my 'relaxing' (off) days look a lot like my 'working' days, as it seems that I am always in the process of making soemthing in some shape or form - be it drawing, painting, woodworking or fiber and needlework. To the untrained eye, it may appear that work time is the same as play time, but there are subtle differences that only other artists and designers can see. It is hard to explain sometimes.

I always say how fortunate I am to be doing something that I love. I don't think that a day goes by when I am not grateful for the path my life has taken. It hasn't come on its' own, but with many years of work and like anyone who aspires to a particular goal, there have been some bumps along the way.

I don't for one second think that I have reached my destination. To me, that would mean the journey is at an end and there is nothing left to explore or learn. I am one who considers my entire life a journey, and I will not complete it until I take my last breath. Otherwise, what is the point?

There is a difference between creating for 'work' and creating for ones' self. When I create for my job, I need to consider several things and ask myself many different questions. . .

Will others like this? Will it appeal to a broad audience?

Can this design be made into an understandable 'pattern' that others can easily follow?

Will I be able to market the pieces/kits to make this project and be able to turn a profit?

All these factors are important to anyone who plans on creating as a living. Although as artists and designers we don't like to think of them, without doing so would probably mean that our business would not survive.

I am not alone in thinking that sometimes this is the least "fun" part of the process. These nagging questions are always hanging overhead and while most of us enjoy just about any type of creating, we need to consider these questions very carefully in order to keep our business healthy and growing. It is just part of the business plan and necessary to survive as a designer.

As a result, there are times when we feel additional pressure that can sometimes stifle the flow of our creativity. I read about it often. We all get in a 'rut' and go through dry periods when we are not fond of anything we do. It becomes a bit overwhelming when we have the pressure to produce put on us (or we have put on ourselves). Some artists work better with that and some do not. I think it is something that is very personal and varies in degree from designer to designer. No two are exactly the same.

For myself, I work well with deadlines. I find that having a set 'end date' as a guide is not only welcome, but also necessary for me to be my most productive. I am not a fan of vagueness, and find that when someone gives me the freedom to do something 'whenever I have time' to do it, it usually never gets done. Truth being told, I don't remember the last time I had what others call 'spare time' or nothing to do. But that is a good thing for someone like me. Isn't it?

I have been designing for over 20 years now. As I think back to when I started, I recall some of the ideas that I had in my mind as to how to create a somewhat successful business. Over the years, I have tested many ideas and found that some of them work (for me) and some simply do not. I think that in most cases, "experience" is our greatest teacher and it takes many trials and failures to sift through and find what work for each of us. It is a continual learning process.

So back to the subject at hand - "relaxing".

One of my favorite ways to relax is to work on creating others' designs. Be it painting, woodworking or needlework, it is like therapy for me to create a project without having to "think" too much. I know that most of you will understand that, as most of you who 'craft' do so in your own leisure time and find it pleasurable to unwind by creating. I am no different, even though I create for a living.

The key to this is to find decent, no stress instructions that allow you to fully enjoy the process without pressure or anxiety. I find that as an added benefit, by doing this I am also honing my own teaching skills and making myself a better pattern maker - no matter what the media. It is a win/win all around.

One of my favorite things to do is to embroider. I love the convenience of picking up the piece and not having to worry about set-up or spilling or noisy tools running or anything like that. I can curl up on the couch at the end of the day and stitch for five minutes or five hours without much thought. When I am tired, I simply put the thread back into a box and I am done. There is something simple and wonderful about it. (For me, anyway) I find when I am stressed or anxious or befuddled by too many thoughts, it is the perfect way for me to calm down and relax.

I have shown my pieces before in my blog here and have had a great deal of encouragement from you all. I have enjoyed creating designs from Di van Kiekerk and love her easy-to-follow instructions. She is a wonderful teacher and is now retiring. While I will miss her posts tremendously, I am grateful that I have purchased several of her kits and will still follow her through her books and videos.

I have currently been working on my second large sampler piece that she has created in a kit. This one is from the book "Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork". I have shown the previous panels and in the past week or so I have finished up panels four and five and I thought you may want to see the result.

Here is the finished panel 4:

Plant Flower Green Leaf Textile


In creating it, I learned several new stitches, including the cast-on stitch for the hollyhocks (the red flowers) and the ribbon stitch for the blue delphiniums. They were so much fun and came out OK.

The ground flowers were easy and I was pleased with them as well:

Flower Plant Botany Textile Rectangle


And the tiny ladybug was stitched in single stranded silk, as the one before:

Plant Blue Azure Rectangle Textile


Overall I am pleased. The beautiful textures and depths of the flowers is really pretty in person:

Flower Plant Textile Creative arts Rectangle


Panel five went much quicker than anticipated.

Flower Plant Botany Leaf Petal


The lovely, soft yellow irises were not as difficult as I had anticipated, and because of the ribbon, went quickly. I think it took longer to create the pretty stems than the flowers themselves.

Flower Plant Petal Botany Textile


I loved doing the wrapped wire stems though, using (again) a single strand of silk thread. The tiny thread really adds beautiful detail to the piece and is fun and relaxing for me.

The ground cover on this panel introduced two new stitches for me:

Flower Purple Plant Textile Petal


The pinkish roses were done in a stitch called "French knot roses" and I found they were much easier than I thought they would be to make look nice. I could do an entire panel of them! The peachy roases were done in a stitch called "spider's web roses" and they also came out beautiful. The forget-me-nots were done in a ribbon stitch, as were the leaves and I decided to add glass bead centers to them instead of French knots. (I am always a rebel - adding my own ideas to what I make).

Overall, this also made a beautiful and textured panel:

Flower Plant Petal Rectangle Font


On to panel six . . .

I hope you enjoyed today's post. I am currently doing the final touches on my own simple embroidery kits that I am creating. I have all the supplies necessary to start selling the kits now and I only need to complete the pattern packet. As with all of my patterns, I will have lots of color photos and clear instructions. My goal is to engage even beginners and offer a fun and relaxing experience for them as well as seasoned stitchers.

Today I will be working on this pattern as well as the woodworking patterns that I featured yesterday. I have orders to cut as well, so it will be a busy day. Thank you to all who have encouraged me in these many directions. I think it makes my life happy and full. I love sharing my creative process with you all.

Whether you create as a job or create as a relaxation, I hope you all find enjoyment in what you do. For myself, 'making things' is as much a part of life as breathing, and I couldn't imagine my life without it.

I hope you have a wonderful and creative day! :)
 

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#12,656 ·
12 Days of Christmas - Day 5 Complete!

I have been busier than usual the past couple of weeks, and I expect that this will continue for the near future as we prepare our move into our new house. There is so much to consider and so much organizing to to! We are both really excited about it, but it is also very time consuming to plan and think things through and also figure out and purchase what we will need to make the move as seamless as possible regarding our business.

Since we no longer will be both working in one room, there have to be several adjustments made to our computer systems. Keith will be working both in the living room and also in the shop we are making downstairs. I will probably be spending the majority of time in my studio working, but would like to have access to my computer from the living room as well, as I can see myself settling down there in the evening to take in a movie or relaxing, but I will still want my computer available. We also will want computer access in our 'scroll saw room' on the second floor. This will mean quite a bit of skill in networking for everything to work properly, as well as having to purchase additional monitors, etc. But we think we are on the right track.

I promise to show everything that we will be doing in future blogs. I think that what we figured out will be relevant to those of you who are in similar circumstances, and may help you set up your own work places in the most efficient manner possible.

As I mentioned before - Keith and I are both sticklers for organizing and we plan to have a place that is comfortable, organized and most of all functional so that we can get the most productivity out of our days. Nothing bothers us more than having things in disarray. I am certain that is part of the anxiety that I am feeling these days, as I know that the weeks ahead will be somewhat crazy. But hopefully, not more so than they need to be and with some good planning, we will be able to do this as painless as possible. We already have been purchasing what we feel is necessary to organize and store our supplies. Hopefully the pieces we special ordered will arrive on time as well so we can jump right in and have places to put things when moving day comes. (One can only hope!)

This planning takes time though. The research and making decisions are part of the unseen picture that will make everything look like it is easy. Hopefully there will be only a short 'down time' when we actually move, and for the most part it will be 'business as usual'. That doesn't just happen.

Because of that, I will probably be very spotty in my blogs for the next few weeks. While I will share all the choices and show the new working spaces, I feel that it will be more interesting seeing everything come together rather than just wait for the pieces to arrive, as well as moving day. I have already ordered most of the furnishings for my studio, but they are sitting in storage either here or at Keith's mom's house - unopened. The child in me wants to tear open all the boxes and 'ooh' and 'ahh' over the new things, but the realistic adult knows that it wouldn't be a smart move for me to do that. Things will get damaged if they are all pulled out and it will be much easier to move them in the boxes they arrived in. Here is where patience and maturity needs to win out. (But just think of the day when I will be sitting in my empty studio and opening all those things up! It will be like Christmas for me!)

So for now we are just trying to keep focused on the business and keeping things as 'normal' as possible. One can try, anyway . . .

I wanted to show you the "Day 5" ornaments that I completed from my Lynne Andrews 12 Days of Christmas set. They were all mailed out yesterday to the recipients, and while it was the first day of June, they were actually finished in May so I feel that technically I am still on schedule. I am thrilled with them as usual, and I hope those who receive them are as well.

Here is the finished face of Day 5:

Badge Font Dishware Circle Emblem


. . . and the back:

Ornament Font Body jewelry Badge Jewellery


The snowman was my favorite of the group (so far!) and I love the beautiful layered colors! This angle shows the Opal Dust sparkles and the rhinestone berries better:

Dishware Badge Font Serveware Circle


Isn't it beautiful?? And for those of you who are new to my posts, I am doing six full sets, one "day" each month to complete the set in December (just in time for Christmas!) They are being sent out to each recipient each month. (Of course I am doing a set for myself!)

Dishware Body jewelry Tableware Badge Jewellery


Here is how my five look together:

Dishware Badge Souvenir Serveware Fashion accessory


Aren't they amazingly beautiful??? Lynne Andrews really outdid herself on this design. You can get her painting instruction book Christmas Blessings by clicking on the name of the book and going to her website.

The ornament blanks are sold on my own site here: SLDPK129 Elegant Bevel Cut Ornaments.

And we even have a Facebook support group of people who are making the set as a group over the year: 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We are making them!

I hope you stop by and join either to paint the ornaments or even just to cheer us on. It is a great and inspiring group and it is fascinating to see the wonderful variations everyone has on their pieces!

I loved the Day 5 snowman so much that I decided to make a larger version on my SLDPK134 Large Snowflake wood piece.

Cat Plant Felidae Carnivore Whiskers


Instead of the five gold rings, I strung a set of beautiful metal snowflake charms for the snowman to hold:

Bird Organism Art Pattern Creative arts


I loved the way it came out and the charms added a beautiful dimension and the piece can be out all season that way. I have been asked about the charms and have them on order. I will put them up on the site as soon as they are available or you can email me and I will hold a set for you. I will be charging $3 per set of five charms.

Today I am working on making my patterns for the wood pieces I showed earlier this week. I have some photography to do and I will be good to go. I am also making a general instruction book for the Sheila Landry Design Elements that will be available on the site in the next few days. That will give a better explanation of the patterns and their versatility.

So that about covers it for today. It is another warm and sunny morning here in Nova Scotia and truly a beautiful day. I would love to play "hookie" and run to the beach, but I don't have that luxury right now. Perhaps when things are all settled.

I hope you all have a wonderful day as well! Thanks for stopping by and reading. Happy Thursday to you!
 

Attachments

#12,657 ·
12 Days of Christmas - Day 5 Complete!

I have been busier than usual the past couple of weeks, and I expect that this will continue for the near future as we prepare our move into our new house. There is so much to consider and so much organizing to to! We are both really excited about it, but it is also very time consuming to plan and think things through and also figure out and purchase what we will need to make the move as seamless as possible regarding our business.

Since we no longer will be both working in one room, there have to be several adjustments made to our computer systems. Keith will be working both in the living room and also in the shop we are making downstairs. I will probably be spending the majority of time in my studio working, but would like to have access to my computer from the living room as well, as I can see myself settling down there in the evening to take in a movie or relaxing, but I will still want my computer available. We also will want computer access in our 'scroll saw room' on the second floor. This will mean quite a bit of skill in networking for everything to work properly, as well as having to purchase additional monitors, etc. But we think we are on the right track.

I promise to show everything that we will be doing in future blogs. I think that what we figured out will be relevant to those of you who are in similar circumstances, and may help you set up your own work places in the most efficient manner possible.

As I mentioned before - Keith and I are both sticklers for organizing and we plan to have a place that is comfortable, organized and most of all functional so that we can get the most productivity out of our days. Nothing bothers us more than having things in disarray. I am certain that is part of the anxiety that I am feeling these days, as I know that the weeks ahead will be somewhat crazy. But hopefully, not more so than they need to be and with some good planning, we will be able to do this as painless as possible. We already have been purchasing what we feel is necessary to organize and store our supplies. Hopefully the pieces we special ordered will arrive on time as well so we can jump right in and have places to put things when moving day comes. (One can only hope!)

This planning takes time though. The research and making decisions are part of the unseen picture that will make everything look like it is easy. Hopefully there will be only a short 'down time' when we actually move, and for the most part it will be 'business as usual'. That doesn't just happen.

Because of that, I will probably be very spotty in my blogs for the next few weeks. While I will share all the choices and show the new working spaces, I feel that it will be more interesting seeing everything come together rather than just wait for the pieces to arrive, as well as moving day. I have already ordered most of the furnishings for my studio, but they are sitting in storage either here or at Keith's mom's house - unopened. The child in me wants to tear open all the boxes and 'ooh' and 'ahh' over the new things, but the realistic adult knows that it wouldn't be a smart move for me to do that. Things will get damaged if they are all pulled out and it will be much easier to move them in the boxes they arrived in. Here is where patience and maturity needs to win out. (But just think of the day when I will be sitting in my empty studio and opening all those things up! It will be like Christmas for me!)

So for now we are just trying to keep focused on the business and keeping things as 'normal' as possible. One can try, anyway . . .

I wanted to show you the "Day 5" ornaments that I completed from my Lynne Andrews 12 Days of Christmas set. They were all mailed out yesterday to the recipients, and while it was the first day of June, they were actually finished in May so I feel that technically I am still on schedule. I am thrilled with them as usual, and I hope those who receive them are as well.

Here is the finished face of Day 5:

Badge Font Dishware Circle Emblem


. . . and the back:

Ornament Font Body jewelry Badge Jewellery


The snowman was my favorite of the group (so far!) and I love the beautiful layered colors! This angle shows the Opal Dust sparkles and the rhinestone berries better:

Dishware Badge Font Serveware Circle


Isn't it beautiful?? And for those of you who are new to my posts, I am doing six full sets, one "day" each month to complete the set in December (just in time for Christmas!) They are being sent out to each recipient each month. (Of course I am doing a set for myself!)

Dishware Body jewelry Tableware Badge Jewellery


Here is how my five look together:

Dishware Badge Souvenir Serveware Fashion accessory


Aren't they amazingly beautiful??? Lynne Andrews really outdid herself on this design. You can get her painting instruction book Christmas Blessings by clicking on the name of the book and going to her website.

The ornament blanks are sold on my own site here: SLDPK129 Elegant Bevel Cut Ornaments.

And we even have a Facebook support group of people who are making the set as a group over the year: 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We are making them!

I hope you stop by and join either to paint the ornaments or even just to cheer us on. It is a great and inspiring group and it is fascinating to see the wonderful variations everyone has on their pieces!

I loved the Day 5 snowman so much that I decided to make a larger version on my SLDPK134 Large Snowflake wood piece.

Cat Plant Felidae Carnivore Whiskers


Instead of the five gold rings, I strung a set of beautiful metal snowflake charms for the snowman to hold:

Bird Organism Art Pattern Creative arts


I loved the way it came out and the charms added a beautiful dimension and the piece can be out all season that way. I have been asked about the charms and have them on order. I will put them up on the site as soon as they are available or you can email me and I will hold a set for you. I will be charging $3 per set of five charms.

Today I am working on making my patterns for the wood pieces I showed earlier this week. I have some photography to do and I will be good to go. I am also making a general instruction book for the Sheila Landry Design Elements that will be available on the site in the next few days. That will give a better explanation of the patterns and their versatility.

So that about covers it for today. It is another warm and sunny morning here in Nova Scotia and truly a beautiful day. I would love to play "hookie" and run to the beach, but I don't have that luxury right now. Perhaps when things are all settled.

I hope you all have a wonderful day as well! Thanks for stopping by and reading. Happy Thursday to you!
The 12 days of Christmas ornaments are very beautiful. It's great to have people painting along with you and a wonderful gift. Looking forward to reading about your move and your new studio set up. Exciting times for you :)
 

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#12,659 ·
A Little Break

In preparing to move in a few weeks, you can imagine that things are a bit different in my life these days. Even though the 'big day' is a couple of weeks away, my general routine is rather 'off' and my mind has been in many different directions. For the first time in years, I feel as if I am not producing designs like I should.

This isn't a matter of "Designer's Block" or anything of that nature. I have more ideas than I have time to create. It is more like "Designer's Distraction" which means my mind is continually being pulled in other directions and it is difficult to focus on the task at hand. It is very out of character for me, but I am sure it is part of the process and I am certain that it is only temporary and that I will be back to my 'normal', productive self soon.

Until then I feel that it is perhaps better to lower my blogging goals quite a bit. I am so used to posting every day, as I love the support and motivation that each of you provide me, as well as the feedback on my projects. But I am finding that I am having a great deal of interesting and positive things to discuss each day, as much of the preparation for moving involves mundane tasks that we all do every day. Nothing exciting here.

So I think that I will post on a 'as needed' basis for now. I think that it is better to provide fewer posts and keep the content of them relevant as opposed to just typing to fill space every day. I hope you agree.

I can assure you when I am back to being settled in and creating full time again, I will be posting every day. I am happy that we are getting our move in at the beginning of the summer, as I have many wonderful and fun ideas for autumn and holiday projects that I will be able to develop as soon as I begin to settle. I hope you join me for that adventure.

For today's post, I wanted to show a new design that Keith created over the weekend that you may like.



His SLDK677 Love Gives Us a Fairytale plaque is great for a wedding gift, anniversary, or any time you want to tell your loved one how you feel. I think it is beautiful and one of his best to date. You can purchase the pattern on the site by following the link.

Thank you all for indulging my time off. As always, we will be open for business and available to answer your questions and fill orders. We hope that there will only be a small 'hiccup' on the day we transfer our computers to our new home and that will be very short-lived. I will certainly announce that day here prior to it happening.

I miss writing every day and hearing from you all, but I know that it is necessary in order for us to grow and improve. I hope that you all understand and keep in touch via our site and the Wordpress site. You can subscribe to my blog there and sign up to receive notifications when I do post. It is working out rather well over there.

Thanks for your support. I hope to keep you posted and be back to every day blogging soon.

Happy Monday to you all!
 
#12,666 ·
Organization

As I mentioned before, the next several weeks will be quite busy for Keith and I. We are in the process of preparing to move in the next few weeks and there is a great deal of things we need to do. It isn't that we were unorganized while living in our current place, but rather that we are expanding our living space to nearly four times what we have today. Needless to say, we are beyond excited.

While Keith and I think differently on several issues (and what couple doesn't?), one thing that we have in common is that we both love organization.

(I can almost feel you cringing when I say that!)

Both of us believe in living in tidy surroundings where everything has its place not only is less stressful, but makes us happier and more productive. It is a way of life for both of us.

I think that played a very important part in our decision to move. For years we made things work for us in our one bedroom place here. We practically had our organization down to a science. Even though we used the scroll saw in the corner of our kitchen to cut out our samples and work pieces, if you didn't know we did woodworking for a living, you would never realize it. Everything had its place and each time we planned a scroll saw session, we put everything away in its place, leaving the counters pretty much bare so that the clean up was relatively easy. It was a quick five minutes invested before cutting and probably 10 - 15 minutes afterword to get everything back in order. It worked well for many years.

But lately, I have been very busy cutting painting surfaces and providing them for painters. As this has become a larger part of my business, it meant more time cutting and less time drawing and designing. The cutting sessions went from maybe once or twice a month into one full day or two per week - and more when I had new products introduced. This began to prove to be a bit of an inconvenience for us both. Not to mention the storage of the said wood pieces and other art supplies.

It just didn't work anymore.

A few months ago, we found a wonderful new place to live. It is right down the road from where we are now, which means we get to stay in our beautiful neighborhood near the river. The couple who owns the house is lovely and we seemed to hit it off right away. We needed a long-term commitment from them and they wanted someone who would take care of their property as if it were their own. It seems to be a 'perfect match.' We made the commitment with them and began planning to move at the end of June, which is not quickly approaching.

In moving to such a large area, there is much to be considered. Not only did I need to plan out my studio, but also our basement shop, our scrolling workshop that will be on the second floor and the possibility of using part of the barn later on for larger woodworking projects. It it quite exciting, but also has been very expensive and time-consuming. It all serves a great purpose though. By the time we are fully settled in, we will have not only a beautiful living area, but a wonderful work area as well. I am sure that will lead to better productivity.

But for now, there is the 'storm before the calm'. Even though most of our things are in pretty good order, the issue of having too many 'things' without enough space has taken its toll on us. So before we make the move, we want to go through things and get everything in good order, so the move will be as seemless as possible. That takes time more than anything.

I had began going through my ribbon and trims. I knew that was one thing that was an issue, as I purchased only a couple of meters at a time and some were on spools and some were not and I had about 3-4 boxes that had pieces in them. When I pulled them out and put them all together, it was quite a mess:

Textile Wood Publication Art City


No wonder I didn't really know what I had! I find that "not knowing" what you have is the most common reason we tend to over buy supplies. This had to be rectified!

When we were at Michael's craft store the other day, I saw these 13" x 13" scrap book paper boxes on sale for $5 each. I bought four of them, as I thought they would be great for holding a variety of supplies. They are only about 3" deep, so they will stack nicely as well in a cabinet.

Tableware Rectangle Dishware Wood Table


I used my scroll saw and created a nice, sturdy grid frame to put inside using 1/4" birch plywood. I could have used 1/8" wood, but I wanted this to really be nice. I imagine that cardboard or foam board would also work if you don't have access to a scroll saw.

Rectangle Wood Shelf Tableware Hardwood


I then used foam core board to cut some simple bobbins to wrap the trims and ribbon on. Again - I could have been fancy and cut a bunch from 1/8" stock on the scroll saw (I am not ruling that out for a later time!) but for now, I thought the foam would suffice. I used a T-square and Exacto knife to make the squares, and then ordinary household scissors to create the bow-shaped bobbins:

Ruler Tool Office ruler Rectangle Measuring instrument


After nearly 2 days of winding (No - not continual, but probably about 6-8 hours realistically - I watched three of my favorite movies while I did it) here is what I now have:

Food Dishware Cuisine Recipe Ingredient


Pretty slick, isn't it?? ;)

As you can see, I need to use another box for the extras. Also, these are packed pretty tight,which means there is no room for adding more. (Let's be realistic - there WILL be more ribbon and trim added as we continue to work!) So the second box will be good for a while at least.

Isn't this incredible??? It is funny how simple things make me happy. Now, when loooking for a certain color or type of ribbon, I only need to glance at my ribbon box and I will know immediately what I have on hand. No more sifting through different boxes and trying to find things through a tangled mess! This size of grid and bobbins will accommodate many types of thread, ribbons and trims. You can use it for so many wonderful supplies and have them all at hand at a glance!

. . . and you all thought I have been 'slacking' because I haven't posted as much! ;) . . .

I hope this little post inspires you to think about your own supplies. It is actually not hard to do, and as I said - the foam board would also make wonderful dividers. If you wish, I will post the pattern on my site for the grid I created for this size box. Just let me know in the comments if you would like it and I will get it up there for you.

We are only two weekends away from the actual move! The time will pass quickly I am sure but in other respects, not quickly enough. I hope that you enjoy me sharing our transition with you all and I also hope you get some organizational ideas from us that you can use yourself. It is a lot of fun really, and something that you won't regret investing your time doing.

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday! :D
 

Attachments

#12,667 ·
Organization

As I mentioned before, the next several weeks will be quite busy for Keith and I. We are in the process of preparing to move in the next few weeks and there is a great deal of things we need to do. It isn't that we were unorganized while living in our current place, but rather that we are expanding our living space to nearly four times what we have today. Needless to say, we are beyond excited.

While Keith and I think differently on several issues (and what couple doesn't?), one thing that we have in common is that we both love organization.

(I can almost feel you cringing when I say that!)

Both of us believe in living in tidy surroundings where everything has its place not only is less stressful, but makes us happier and more productive. It is a way of life for both of us.

I think that played a very important part in our decision to move. For years we made things work for us in our one bedroom place here. We practically had our organization down to a science. Even though we used the scroll saw in the corner of our kitchen to cut out our samples and work pieces, if you didn't know we did woodworking for a living, you would never realize it. Everything had its place and each time we planned a scroll saw session, we put everything away in its place, leaving the counters pretty much bare so that the clean up was relatively easy. It was a quick five minutes invested before cutting and probably 10 - 15 minutes afterword to get everything back in order. It worked well for many years.

But lately, I have been very busy cutting painting surfaces and providing them for painters. As this has become a larger part of my business, it meant more time cutting and less time drawing and designing. The cutting sessions went from maybe once or twice a month into one full day or two per week - and more when I had new products introduced. This began to prove to be a bit of an inconvenience for us both. Not to mention the storage of the said wood pieces and other art supplies.

It just didn't work anymore.

A few months ago, we found a wonderful new place to live. It is right down the road from where we are now, which means we get to stay in our beautiful neighborhood near the river. The couple who owns the house is lovely and we seemed to hit it off right away. We needed a long-term commitment from them and they wanted someone who would take care of their property as if it were their own. It seems to be a 'perfect match.' We made the commitment with them and began planning to move at the end of June, which is not quickly approaching.

In moving to such a large area, there is much to be considered. Not only did I need to plan out my studio, but also our basement shop, our scrolling workshop that will be on the second floor and the possibility of using part of the barn later on for larger woodworking projects. It it quite exciting, but also has been very expensive and time-consuming. It all serves a great purpose though. By the time we are fully settled in, we will have not only a beautiful living area, but a wonderful work area as well. I am sure that will lead to better productivity.

But for now, there is the 'storm before the calm'. Even though most of our things are in pretty good order, the issue of having too many 'things' without enough space has taken its toll on us. So before we make the move, we want to go through things and get everything in good order, so the move will be as seemless as possible. That takes time more than anything.

I had began going through my ribbon and trims. I knew that was one thing that was an issue, as I purchased only a couple of meters at a time and some were on spools and some were not and I had about 3-4 boxes that had pieces in them. When I pulled them out and put them all together, it was quite a mess:

Textile Wood Publication Art City


No wonder I didn't really know what I had! I find that "not knowing" what you have is the most common reason we tend to over buy supplies. This had to be rectified!

When we were at Michael's craft store the other day, I saw these 13" x 13" scrap book paper boxes on sale for $5 each. I bought four of them, as I thought they would be great for holding a variety of supplies. They are only about 3" deep, so they will stack nicely as well in a cabinet.

Tableware Rectangle Dishware Wood Table


I used my scroll saw and created a nice, sturdy grid frame to put inside using 1/4" birch plywood. I could have used 1/8" wood, but I wanted this to really be nice. I imagine that cardboard or foam board would also work if you don't have access to a scroll saw.

Rectangle Wood Shelf Tableware Hardwood


I then used foam core board to cut some simple bobbins to wrap the trims and ribbon on. Again - I could have been fancy and cut a bunch from 1/8" stock on the scroll saw (I am not ruling that out for a later time!) but for now, I thought the foam would suffice. I used a T-square and Exacto knife to make the squares, and then ordinary household scissors to create the bow-shaped bobbins:

Ruler Tool Office ruler Rectangle Measuring instrument


After nearly 2 days of winding (No - not continual, but probably about 6-8 hours realistically - I watched three of my favorite movies while I did it) here is what I now have:

Food Dishware Cuisine Recipe Ingredient


Pretty slick, isn't it?? ;)

As you can see, I need to use another box for the extras. Also, these are packed pretty tight,which means there is no room for adding more. (Let's be realistic - there WILL be more ribbon and trim added as we continue to work!) So the second box will be good for a while at least.

Isn't this incredible??? It is funny how simple things make me happy. Now, when loooking for a certain color or type of ribbon, I only need to glance at my ribbon box and I will know immediately what I have on hand. No more sifting through different boxes and trying to find things through a tangled mess! This size of grid and bobbins will accommodate many types of thread, ribbons and trims. You can use it for so many wonderful supplies and have them all at hand at a glance!

. . . and you all thought I have been 'slacking' because I haven't posted as much! ;) . . .

I hope this little post inspires you to think about your own supplies. It is actually not hard to do, and as I said - the foam board would also make wonderful dividers. If you wish, I will post the pattern on my site for the grid I created for this size box. Just let me know in the comments if you would like it and I will get it up there for you.

We are only two weekends away from the actual move! The time will pass quickly I am sure but in other respects, not quickly enough. I hope that you enjoy me sharing our transition with you all and I also hope you get some organizational ideas from us that you can use yourself. It is a lot of fun really, and something that you won't regret investing your time doing.

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday! :D
All I can say is, You're both gonna luv that extra space.
 

Attachments

#12,669 ·
The Move is ON!

It is funny how something that has been a habit so long can fall out of being a habit so quickly. In the past couple of weeks, so many habits that I have acquired over time have been greatly altered. I expect it will be like that for the next few weeks, as we received the KEYS to our new place and are going to finally be able to start moving things there! How exciting this is for us!

I am filled with a wide range of emotions right now. I go from being excited and happy to being completely overwhelmed. For any of you who know me at all, you know that I love keeping stuff in order. Seeing the piles grow here in our little place as we prepare to move can feel a bit overwelming. Add to that we are just beginning this journey and things will get quite a bit worse before they get better. There is just no way around it. So I am learning to not worry about what is in front of me now and not look at everything all at once and know in my heart that it will all be "OK". :)

So again - I will be on away from blogging for a while. I will pop in as much as I can to update everyone, but for now, my priorities have to be with the task at hand. After all - it is for the 'Greater Good' of us all. This is where patience comes into play. A test, if you will . . . .

With that said, we did manage to update the site this weekend.

Here is a quick rundown of what is new on the site:

Keith has three new plaques that are just wonderful. His first is SLDK677 - Love Gives us a Fairytale:

Green Rectangle Handwriting Wood Plant


The next is a fun and whimsical plaque for the kitchen (SLDK676 - I Cook With Wine):

Rectangle Font Wood Advertising Label


And finally, his SLDK675 - Our Love Story Plaque pattern - a great pattern you can personalize with the optional add-on section. (The personalization can be done by Keith for an extra cost - but the lettering is included in the pattern for you to do it yourself.)

Brown Font Rectangle Wood Tints and shades


All three of these patterns are already showing to be quite popular. :)

For myself, I finally was able to launch my SLDE Sheila Landry Designs Elements series that I had shown hints of earlier. I don't know if it was the best time to do so, when I am so pulled in so many directions, but I feel as if I haven't had anything new for quite a while and I really am excited about the possibilities of how this will work. The first three patterns are shown here:

Dishware Table Art Creative arts Serveware


These are the SLDEBI01 - Robins, SLDEFL01 - Crocuses and the SLDEFR01 -Basic Frames. The photo shows how well they work together. I am offering a free "Introduction Sheet" that explains them a bit more that you can download HERE.

You can read about them on their descriptions and on the introduction sheet.

Finally, I want my painting followers to know that I got my shipment of beautiful metal snowflake charms! I put a product on my site for them and plan to add in more wonderful embellishments soon that you can use with your painting or craft projects. I used my charms on my SLDPK134 Snowflake Beveled Plaque along with a wonderful Lynne Andrews pattern from her "12 Days of Christmas" book - Christmas Blessings. You can get the charms here: EMB01 - Metal Snowflake Charms.

Bird Organism Art Pattern Creative arts


I think they look FABULOUS! :D

Well - that is about all I have time for today. I have to get moving - literally!

I promise to be back in full swing soon. Just as soon as time will allow.

I will keep you posted on what we are up to as much as possible. Until then, have a wonderful week full of creativity!
 

Attachments

#12,670 ·
The Move is ON!

It is funny how something that has been a habit so long can fall out of being a habit so quickly. In the past couple of weeks, so many habits that I have acquired over time have been greatly altered. I expect it will be like that for the next few weeks, as we received the KEYS to our new place and are going to finally be able to start moving things there! How exciting this is for us!

I am filled with a wide range of emotions right now. I go from being excited and happy to being completely overwhelmed. For any of you who know me at all, you know that I love keeping stuff in order. Seeing the piles grow here in our little place as we prepare to move can feel a bit overwelming. Add to that we are just beginning this journey and things will get quite a bit worse before they get better. There is just no way around it. So I am learning to not worry about what is in front of me now and not look at everything all at once and know in my heart that it will all be "OK". :)

So again - I will be on away from blogging for a while. I will pop in as much as I can to update everyone, but for now, my priorities have to be with the task at hand. After all - it is for the 'Greater Good' of us all. This is where patience comes into play. A test, if you will . . . .

With that said, we did manage to update the site this weekend.

Here is a quick rundown of what is new on the site:

Keith has three new plaques that are just wonderful. His first is SLDK677 - Love Gives us a Fairytale:

Green Rectangle Handwriting Wood Plant


The next is a fun and whimsical plaque for the kitchen (SLDK676 - I Cook With Wine):

Rectangle Font Wood Advertising Label


And finally, his SLDK675 - Our Love Story Plaque pattern - a great pattern you can personalize with the optional add-on section. (The personalization can be done by Keith for an extra cost - but the lettering is included in the pattern for you to do it yourself.)

Brown Font Rectangle Wood Tints and shades


All three of these patterns are already showing to be quite popular. :)

For myself, I finally was able to launch my SLDE Sheila Landry Designs Elements series that I had shown hints of earlier. I don't know if it was the best time to do so, when I am so pulled in so many directions, but I feel as if I haven't had anything new for quite a while and I really am excited about the possibilities of how this will work. The first three patterns are shown here:

Dishware Table Art Creative arts Serveware


These are the SLDEBI01 - Robins, SLDEFL01 - Crocuses and the SLDEFR01 -Basic Frames. The photo shows how well they work together. I am offering a free "Introduction Sheet" that explains them a bit more that you can download HERE.

You can read about them on their descriptions and on the introduction sheet.

Finally, I want my painting followers to know that I got my shipment of beautiful metal snowflake charms! I put a product on my site for them and plan to add in more wonderful embellishments soon that you can use with your painting or craft projects. I used my charms on my SLDPK134 Snowflake Beveled Plaque along with a wonderful Lynne Andrews pattern from her "12 Days of Christmas" book - Christmas Blessings. You can get the charms here: EMB01 - Metal Snowflake Charms.

Bird Organism Art Pattern Creative arts


I think they look FABULOUS! :D

Well - that is about all I have time for today. I have to get moving - literally!

I promise to be back in full swing soon. Just as soon as time will allow.

I will keep you posted on what we are up to as much as possible. Until then, have a wonderful week full of creativity!
Is your "place" a new shop or a new home (or both).
 

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