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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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#12,678 ·
I'm BACK!!

It has been a crazy couple of weeks! Even though I didn't get much 'work' done, I don't think I have ever worked harder in my life. Perhaps it is because I am a touch older now (EGADS!) Or maybe it was because this was the first time that I had to not only move myself, but a moderately successful business as well. It certainly entailed much more than I had anticipated.

But all went well and there were barely any hiccups in the process. We were fortunate in so many respects. The house we moved into is a lovely two-story home over 100 years old. It has a history that we are learning more about every day. The owners are wonderful and kind people who are a joy to deal with. (We are renting this home long-term, as the family moved to another town two hours away) We look forward to a long and lasting relationship with them not only as landlords, but also as friends. We have increased our living and working area to over four times as much space as we had at our old place. I can't tell you how good it feels to stretch our legs and really be organized. I am sure that our productivity will surely increase tremendously just by having this extra room. It is all good.

The owners had the house decorated lovely, but it was suited to their own purpose. They had a teen aged son and a lifestyle that was quite different from ours. It is only natural for us to want to 'nest' and make the home personal to us and conducive to our business and needs. We are very grateful that they pretty much gave us a free hand in making these changes. It is one of the reasons that we were so excited about the move. We have known for the past three months that we would be coming here and have had time to plan and to figure out how things would be set up. For us, the excitement came after the first meeting with them way back in March. Since then we have been planning and shopping and waiting for the day to come to finally move our things in. That is when the real work began.

Over the next several months, I will show you our progress for each room as we finish things up. One thing that I am realizing with this move is that nothing happens instantly. Things take lots of time and planning and work to complete. We are still awaiting five large storage pieces of furniture that we are having made for our main floor. Until we get them (hopefully within a week or so) there will be neat piles of boxes sitting in their place, waiting to be put away. The good part about that is that everything is sorted. (And I mean EVERYTHING!) That is where the 'grunt work' came into play, as we needed to migrate supplies from several locations into one. I think that was the most difficult part, yet will be the most improved part of our lives. We will no longer have things here, there and everywhere. Everything will be in centralized locations so when we don't see something that we are seeking, it will probably mean that we don't have it. This alone will make a huge difference in productivity for us. No more buying duplicates or searching here and there for something we need. I can't stress the importance of the impact of that enough.

Here is a photo of our home:

Sky Cloud Car Plant Building


It is located on a large plot of land not too far from the old mill on the river that I frequently show. We were thrilled to find something so close to our old place (less than a kilometer) and it made the move that much easier for us.

I will show each room as I see fit. Naturally I can't show everything at once. Since most rooms are still 'works in progress' it wouldn't make sense anyway. There are loads of makeover projects that I have in mind. I will have a great time focusing on those as I do them. And finally, I hope to get back to work designing and creating patterns. It seems like forever since I have done that. But blogging again is a good start. Things will get back to normal soon.

Among other things, we decided to make our main scroll saw 'shop' in one of the upstairs bedrooms. The upstairs consists of two large bedrooms and a powder room, which made it ideal for a bright and beautiful working space. We chose the western bedroom as our shop and scroll saw room. It has two nice windows and lots of natural light throughout the afternoon.

We decided to paint the room and put a new light fixture in. The hanging one was over a bed, but was too low for Keith and he kept hitting his head on it. (doh!)

Building Property Wood Fixture Lighting


We liked the pine floors and also liked that we had access to the powder room at the front of the house. Not having to travel downstairs to the bathroom was a real plus:

Window Blue Picture frame Paint Fixture


Our tool box and scroll saw cabinet fit in nicely. For now, we are storing my shipping boxes up there as well. Keith is working on the basement and I think eventually they will be stored down there.

Cabinetry Wood Flooring Home appliance Floor


Along that back wall, my work table will reside. We still haven't brought it from Keith's mom's where it was shipped. We need to get a truck to do that. There is also a matching storage cabinet that will go under it, allowing room for me to store finished pieces to sell. (They are in the aqua bins in the photo now). It will be nice to have a place to store my kits to ship and hopefully I will be able to keep some more in stock for immediate shipping. Those boxes against the wall will go as well, as we will sort them into place as soon as the other pieces arrive.

Here is the view of the other side of the room:

Cabinetry Property Drawer Wood Interior design


The closet is a great storage spot for our dressed wood - ready to cut. The door is to the powder room and the large cabinets hold my craft magazines and books.

Bookcase Property Furniture Shelf Publication


Every magazine is in 'date-issued' order and they are all divided by publication and type of crafts. These were scattered all over the house at our old place and some were on high shelves buried behind other things. I can't tell you how much better it is for me to have every issue at hand where I can put my finger on it immediately!

You can also see that I added some of that foam flooring. Not only does this make things a bit more quiet, but it makes them more comfortable to work on and will help protect the floor. I just love it.

Yesterday (Sunday) was my first opportunity to actually work in my new environment on orders. What a lovely difference having such a wonderful, large space to do my work! I sometimes read that others think that a clean shop is unproductive, but I beg to differ. I find that keeping things neat and organized offers far more productivity than a cluttered mess. It is so pleasant to work in such a wonderful place. I took a break and came down to make dinner in between my cutting and sanding and I can't begin to express the JOY of not having to clean the dust off of the counters or step over the scroll saw to do so. (For those of you who don't know, I have been scrolling in my kitchen for years! I don't think I have EVER had a designated area in the main house for my woodworking. What a TREAT to have that now!) Look at the result:

Wood Table Rectangle Flooring Floor


I would say that it was a very good day! It felt GREAT to be back at work!

I promise to keep you all updated and show you all the new things as they are put into place. Keith's basement project is in itself amazing. Over the past several days, he wired our computers so that the main units will be housed downstairs. Everything is networked to each other and not only will they run cooler in the summer, but we don't have the clutter of the units here in our main living area. I will blog about that in another post, but here is a photo of the finished wiring:

Wood Gas Machine Technology Engineering


So that is all for today. I am dying to get at it and get some more accomplished. I missed you all and hope you all stop by to see what I am up to. I hope to start writing regularly again and share my creative journey with you every day. There is so much fun to come!

Happy Monday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,679 ·
I'm BACK!!

It has been a crazy couple of weeks! Even though I didn't get much 'work' done, I don't think I have ever worked harder in my life. Perhaps it is because I am a touch older now (EGADS!) Or maybe it was because this was the first time that I had to not only move myself, but a moderately successful business as well. It certainly entailed much more than I had anticipated.

But all went well and there were barely any hiccups in the process. We were fortunate in so many respects. The house we moved into is a lovely two-story home over 100 years old. It has a history that we are learning more about every day. The owners are wonderful and kind people who are a joy to deal with. (We are renting this home long-term, as the family moved to another town two hours away) We look forward to a long and lasting relationship with them not only as landlords, but also as friends. We have increased our living and working area to over four times as much space as we had at our old place. I can't tell you how good it feels to stretch our legs and really be organized. I am sure that our productivity will surely increase tremendously just by having this extra room. It is all good.

The owners had the house decorated lovely, but it was suited to their own purpose. They had a teen aged son and a lifestyle that was quite different from ours. It is only natural for us to want to 'nest' and make the home personal to us and conducive to our business and needs. We are very grateful that they pretty much gave us a free hand in making these changes. It is one of the reasons that we were so excited about the move. We have known for the past three months that we would be coming here and have had time to plan and to figure out how things would be set up. For us, the excitement came after the first meeting with them way back in March. Since then we have been planning and shopping and waiting for the day to come to finally move our things in. That is when the real work began.

Over the next several months, I will show you our progress for each room as we finish things up. One thing that I am realizing with this move is that nothing happens instantly. Things take lots of time and planning and work to complete. We are still awaiting five large storage pieces of furniture that we are having made for our main floor. Until we get them (hopefully within a week or so) there will be neat piles of boxes sitting in their place, waiting to be put away. The good part about that is that everything is sorted. (And I mean EVERYTHING!) That is where the 'grunt work' came into play, as we needed to migrate supplies from several locations into one. I think that was the most difficult part, yet will be the most improved part of our lives. We will no longer have things here, there and everywhere. Everything will be in centralized locations so when we don't see something that we are seeking, it will probably mean that we don't have it. This alone will make a huge difference in productivity for us. No more buying duplicates or searching here and there for something we need. I can't stress the importance of the impact of that enough.

Here is a photo of our home:

Sky Cloud Car Plant Building


It is located on a large plot of land not too far from the old mill on the river that I frequently show. We were thrilled to find something so close to our old place (less than a kilometer) and it made the move that much easier for us.

I will show each room as I see fit. Naturally I can't show everything at once. Since most rooms are still 'works in progress' it wouldn't make sense anyway. There are loads of makeover projects that I have in mind. I will have a great time focusing on those as I do them. And finally, I hope to get back to work designing and creating patterns. It seems like forever since I have done that. But blogging again is a good start. Things will get back to normal soon.

Among other things, we decided to make our main scroll saw 'shop' in one of the upstairs bedrooms. The upstairs consists of two large bedrooms and a powder room, which made it ideal for a bright and beautiful working space. We chose the western bedroom as our shop and scroll saw room. It has two nice windows and lots of natural light throughout the afternoon.

We decided to paint the room and put a new light fixture in. The hanging one was over a bed, but was too low for Keith and he kept hitting his head on it. (doh!)

Building Property Wood Fixture Lighting


We liked the pine floors and also liked that we had access to the powder room at the front of the house. Not having to travel downstairs to the bathroom was a real plus:

Window Blue Picture frame Paint Fixture


Our tool box and scroll saw cabinet fit in nicely. For now, we are storing my shipping boxes up there as well. Keith is working on the basement and I think eventually they will be stored down there.

Cabinetry Wood Flooring Home appliance Floor


Along that back wall, my work table will reside. We still haven't brought it from Keith's mom's where it was shipped. We need to get a truck to do that. There is also a matching storage cabinet that will go under it, allowing room for me to store finished pieces to sell. (They are in the aqua bins in the photo now). It will be nice to have a place to store my kits to ship and hopefully I will be able to keep some more in stock for immediate shipping. Those boxes against the wall will go as well, as we will sort them into place as soon as the other pieces arrive.

Here is the view of the other side of the room:

Cabinetry Property Drawer Wood Interior design


The closet is a great storage spot for our dressed wood - ready to cut. The door is to the powder room and the large cabinets hold my craft magazines and books.

Bookcase Property Furniture Shelf Publication


Every magazine is in 'date-issued' order and they are all divided by publication and type of crafts. These were scattered all over the house at our old place and some were on high shelves buried behind other things. I can't tell you how much better it is for me to have every issue at hand where I can put my finger on it immediately!

You can also see that I added some of that foam flooring. Not only does this make things a bit more quiet, but it makes them more comfortable to work on and will help protect the floor. I just love it.

Yesterday (Sunday) was my first opportunity to actually work in my new environment on orders. What a lovely difference having such a wonderful, large space to do my work! I sometimes read that others think that a clean shop is unproductive, but I beg to differ. I find that keeping things neat and organized offers far more productivity than a cluttered mess. It is so pleasant to work in such a wonderful place. I took a break and came down to make dinner in between my cutting and sanding and I can't begin to express the JOY of not having to clean the dust off of the counters or step over the scroll saw to do so. (For those of you who don't know, I have been scrolling in my kitchen for years! I don't think I have EVER had a designated area in the main house for my woodworking. What a TREAT to have that now!) Look at the result:

Wood Table Rectangle Flooring Floor


I would say that it was a very good day! It felt GREAT to be back at work!

I promise to keep you all updated and show you all the new things as they are put into place. Keith's basement project is in itself amazing. Over the past several days, he wired our computers so that the main units will be housed downstairs. Everything is networked to each other and not only will they run cooler in the summer, but we don't have the clutter of the units here in our main living area. I will blog about that in another post, but here is a photo of the finished wiring:

Wood Gas Machine Technology Engineering


So that is all for today. I am dying to get at it and get some more accomplished. I missed you all and hope you all stop by to see what I am up to. I hope to start writing regularly again and share my creative journey with you every day. There is so much fun to come!

Happy Monday to you all!
well done sheila

take a moment ….

.... to DANCE

nice digs
happy campers
(at home)

congratulations !
 

Attachments

#12,688 ·
Routines

Routines.

We need them for order, guidance and pacing. They help us set and keep goals and they keep us organized and productive. Some people don't like routines, but I am one who embraces them completely. Perhaps that is from being around cats all of my life, as they are big fans of routines, as are many animals.

The past several weeks have been anything but "routine" for me. From the time we first saw our new home early in March, I have been a bit out of step. We knew as soon as we saw the house that we would want to rent it long term, and from that point on began the planning and anticipation and all that comes with the prospect of being in a new (and much larger) environment. Also, from that point on our regular routine went out the window. Little by little the focus shifted from our work to the planning of our new place. In the beginning it was more an afterthought - taking up those last few moments of the day to think things through and place orders for new equipment and furniture and storage pieces. But as the time for moving came closer, the time for thinking about the move and the new place grew, and work was pushed further into the background until it was merely an afterthought that was attended to only when necessary. I suppose it is just part of the process.

The move itself went smoothly. The two things that were important to time well - the power and the internet change over - occurred without a hitch. Since we only moved about a kilometer down the road from where we were, it was easy to transport things little by little, using our small cars and making several trips. There was only one night where we needed a truck, and our friend Jason helped out and made several trips bringing the large pieces. It all went as planned.

The wood supplies and craft supplies required a bit of sorting. Being in a small place meant that everything was spread out into other places. We had what we used every day in our little apartment. The less frequently used supplies and decorations were in the basement of our apartment house. The least used things were at Keith's mom's basement. While all this worked OK for us over the years, it was great to be able to integrate everything in one central place, and for me anyway it required a total reorganization and labeling of supplies, books and materials. That took several days, but now that it is done, I can see everything that I own at a glance. No more duplicate purchasing or hunting for things that I knew I already had. Everything is neatly labeled and in boxes, either already in place or ready to be placed in the storage furniture that Keith and I are having made for us (which should be arriving any day now.) There are neat piles of small boxes in the places where these pieces will reside - in my work room, studio and dining area. I promise to give tours later on.

Keith is working on his own workshop in the basement as well. The old house here has a cement floor in the basement with stone walls. He spent most of last week cleaning, power washing and painting the floor in anticipation for building his own place to work. It is exciting and will be rewarding when done.

My area is upstairs in what I will call the "little shop". I have already broken it in with scrolling a few larger orders that I have. I still was sitting on the floor though, as I had done at our apartment, as we were awaiting the use of our friends' truck to bring over the rest of the furniture to make the shop complete. Last night, they brought it over:

Shipping box Wood Package delivery Packing materials Flooring


A wonderful 6 foot workbench and two matching cabinets! :D

We got these at Home Depot for a reasonable price. I love their "Husky" brand, as we purchased their small tool box several years ago and it is wonderful.

The table has a nice, solid wood top and lots of room to work:

Rectangle Font Wood Material property Gas


The cabinets will hold a lot of pre-cut wood pieces which will be ready to ship when someone orders:

Shipping box Package delivery Packing materials Font Gas


They will complete the work place and really make it functional.

Today I will be (once again) assembling furniture. Hopefully then I will be able to get some more cutting done. I am working on an order and I would like to finish it by the end of the week.

Last night I was able to finally paint. I hadn't done that in about a month. I am working on my "Day 6" ornaments from Lynne Andrews' 12 Days of Christmas and I broke in my new studio space:

Computer Personal computer Computer monitor Peripheral Table


Ok - I am showing off a little. I just love my new place here and I want to share. After all the time, thought and hard work we put into making it nice, it is good to finally get into a 'normal' routine and actually accomplish some work! Can you blame me?

While things are still a 'work in progress', I am finding comfort in falling back into some kind of pattern for work again. Even though I have been more tired than I have in a long time lately, My energy has been directed to moving, not to creating and working. It is time to come back.

I hope you all enjoy seeing our work place and home come together. I receive lots of notes from others who say they are inspired by our work areas, and I like to see others' studios and shops myself. Each of us has their own personal needs and wants when it comes to creating and I think that sharing with each other is something that is a positive thing. It is all very exciting.

With that said, I will get to it. There is furniture to be built and projects to be made. Time to get into a good routine again.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#12,689 ·
Routines

Routines.

We need them for order, guidance and pacing. They help us set and keep goals and they keep us organized and productive. Some people don't like routines, but I am one who embraces them completely. Perhaps that is from being around cats all of my life, as they are big fans of routines, as are many animals.

The past several weeks have been anything but "routine" for me. From the time we first saw our new home early in March, I have been a bit out of step. We knew as soon as we saw the house that we would want to rent it long term, and from that point on began the planning and anticipation and all that comes with the prospect of being in a new (and much larger) environment. Also, from that point on our regular routine went out the window. Little by little the focus shifted from our work to the planning of our new place. In the beginning it was more an afterthought - taking up those last few moments of the day to think things through and place orders for new equipment and furniture and storage pieces. But as the time for moving came closer, the time for thinking about the move and the new place grew, and work was pushed further into the background until it was merely an afterthought that was attended to only when necessary. I suppose it is just part of the process.

The move itself went smoothly. The two things that were important to time well - the power and the internet change over - occurred without a hitch. Since we only moved about a kilometer down the road from where we were, it was easy to transport things little by little, using our small cars and making several trips. There was only one night where we needed a truck, and our friend Jason helped out and made several trips bringing the large pieces. It all went as planned.

The wood supplies and craft supplies required a bit of sorting. Being in a small place meant that everything was spread out into other places. We had what we used every day in our little apartment. The less frequently used supplies and decorations were in the basement of our apartment house. The least used things were at Keith's mom's basement. While all this worked OK for us over the years, it was great to be able to integrate everything in one central place, and for me anyway it required a total reorganization and labeling of supplies, books and materials. That took several days, but now that it is done, I can see everything that I own at a glance. No more duplicate purchasing or hunting for things that I knew I already had. Everything is neatly labeled and in boxes, either already in place or ready to be placed in the storage furniture that Keith and I are having made for us (which should be arriving any day now.) There are neat piles of small boxes in the places where these pieces will reside - in my work room, studio and dining area. I promise to give tours later on.

Keith is working on his own workshop in the basement as well. The old house here has a cement floor in the basement with stone walls. He spent most of last week cleaning, power washing and painting the floor in anticipation for building his own place to work. It is exciting and will be rewarding when done.

My area is upstairs in what I will call the "little shop". I have already broken it in with scrolling a few larger orders that I have. I still was sitting on the floor though, as I had done at our apartment, as we were awaiting the use of our friends' truck to bring over the rest of the furniture to make the shop complete. Last night, they brought it over:

Shipping box Wood Package delivery Packing materials Flooring


A wonderful 6 foot workbench and two matching cabinets! :D

We got these at Home Depot for a reasonable price. I love their "Husky" brand, as we purchased their small tool box several years ago and it is wonderful.

The table has a nice, solid wood top and lots of room to work:

Rectangle Font Wood Material property Gas


The cabinets will hold a lot of pre-cut wood pieces which will be ready to ship when someone orders:

Shipping box Package delivery Packing materials Font Gas


They will complete the work place and really make it functional.

Today I will be (once again) assembling furniture. Hopefully then I will be able to get some more cutting done. I am working on an order and I would like to finish it by the end of the week.

Last night I was able to finally paint. I hadn't done that in about a month. I am working on my "Day 6" ornaments from Lynne Andrews' 12 Days of Christmas and I broke in my new studio space:

Computer Personal computer Computer monitor Peripheral Table


Ok - I am showing off a little. I just love my new place here and I want to share. After all the time, thought and hard work we put into making it nice, it is good to finally get into a 'normal' routine and actually accomplish some work! Can you blame me?

While things are still a 'work in progress', I am finding comfort in falling back into some kind of pattern for work again. Even though I have been more tired than I have in a long time lately, My energy has been directed to moving, not to creating and working. It is time to come back.

I hope you all enjoy seeing our work place and home come together. I receive lots of notes from others who say they are inspired by our work areas, and I like to see others' studios and shops myself. Each of us has their own personal needs and wants when it comes to creating and I think that sharing with each other is something that is a positive thing. It is all very exciting.

With that said, I will get to it. There is furniture to be built and projects to be made. Time to get into a good routine again.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
I am glad you got moved and are getting settled. Looks like a good setup. I would never dare show you a picture of my shop or living quarters as they would give you nightmares I'm sure. I call mine organized confusion.
 

Attachments

#12,692 ·
The Scroll Saw Room - My "Little Shop"

Today's post won't be too long, but I wanted to show the progress that I made yesterday. As I mentioned, getting things how we like will be a 'work in progress'. For people like Keith and myself, we have little understanding of that concept. We like to have everything done quickly, efficiently and pretty close to immediately. We are just like that.

But in life, things can't always happen instantly. I think that the older we get, the more we realize it. No matter how well-planned things are and how much we do to head off delays, things still come up and take more time than anticipated. It is part of the process.

Yesterday's post showed some of the new storage pieces that I would be using in my scrolling room. I like to refer to this as the 'little shop' and it will be the place where I will be spending most of my woodworking time. Keith is building his own shop in the basement for his 'down time' hobby - RC cars - and he gets full control over that. While I will be sharing the 'little shop' with him, for the most part it is my 'she-cave'. I have never had a full shop to call my own and this is the closest I will be to that. I am sure that I will be tweaking things as I begin to work there and continue to set things up, but the main pieces are in place and ready to enjoy. I hope you like seeing it as well.

Window Wood Cabinetry Interior design Building


Keith put together the six foot work table yesterday. It takes up most of the back wall. I plan to put at least one of the scroll saws on it (probably the DeWalt, which is shown on the floor in the other photos) and work from there. I plan to have storage underneath it which will hold the pre-cut pieces for my kits as I get them done. I don't stay too far ahead, but I like to cut extras of the most popular kits. For now they are in the aqua bins on the left. I could use something like that to keep them in and just have a nice labeling system. I think that would work nice.

I assembled the two cabinets between the windows. Since I have the tool box, I may use those for storing the cut pieces. Initially I was thinking of putting them under the larger table (which is height-adjustable) but since they have such nice wood tops, I figure I can use the extra tables for working and hated to waste them. I like them clean like that with nothing on them at all so I have a clean workspace for whatever I am doing at the time. I think I will leave it like that.

The spongy floor pieces are great and really make the room comfy and will help keep the pine floors clean and safe. I am going to add more pieces within the next week or so and extend it further to the front and back of the shop. It feels really GOOD to walk on it and cleans up beautifully with the shop vac. I am sure it also keeps the noise to a minimum, as it no longer 'echos' in that room.

Cabinetry Kitchen Wood Floor Kitchen stove


On the opposite side of the room is my tool box as well as the sideboard that I had used in the apartment to stand the Excalibur and drill press on. For now we are keeping it, but we have some other cabinets that I may swap out that are similar in size. In any case, I think the cabinet is a perfect candidate for a DecoArt makeover using some of their beautiful paints. I would like to paint it black to match the rest of the pieces. (Yes - even in the shop I want things to match!) Everything is that "Husky" brand from Home Depot that I mentioned yesterday. I think for the money, the quality is really good. We have had the tool box for about four years now without any issues. It still is like new and is sturdy and the drawers roll beautifully. The table holds up to 3000 lbs and the cabinets are heavy-duty as well, with double steel doors. All quality wood tops as well that shouldn't warp or twist.

The corner there will do for now to get me up and running, but as I said, I will find a better way to organize the pieces that I have already cut. Maybe it is the 'artist' in me, but I want it to be nice. After all - organization means the best efficiency and that is my goal - to be my most efficient. The time spent organizing now will come back several times over in being able to produce things in a timely manner later. I am sure of that.

Cabinetry Flooring Interior design Floor Wood


The opposite side of the room opens up to a closet on the left and the powder room on the right. It will be a luxury to have the washroom right there when I am working and not have to run downstairs. I can easily keep the door closed when I am working on something messy and keep the dust out. The closet has a low, angled ceiling, but will do great for storing our pre-dressed pieces of wood. We need to add some type of shelving in there so that we can get to everything quickly and keep our wood from warping. These were mostly the pieces that were in the trays under our bed and dressers previously in our old place. It is good to keep them at hand.

The large cabinet holds my books and magazines, and printed patterns. (Yes - I have that many!) Everything is in alphabetical/date order and I can pinpoint what I want in seconds. No more hunting in this closet or on top of that shelf and having to move 20 things to get to them! It may be a small thing, but I can't tell you how happy this makes me! :D

Cat Vertebrate Tableware Wood Mammal


And what would a shop be without a "shop manager"? That's Pancakes inspecting the new workshop! :)

It is the little things that make us happy. While it may not be the biggest shop, it is a huge step up for me. I already have had some time to work in it and even though it isn't fine tuned, it is great to have a place to work and just take off my apron and close the door to do things like make dinner, answer the phone or fill an order. While I did the best I could in my kitchen previously, as our little business grows, I was getting tired of the amount of time that needed to be spent clearing things out and cleaning up after cutting to make it fit for its main purpose - as a kitchen. Also, it was open to our living area so that meant that not only was there noise there for those who weren't working, but all the dust as well. This is wonderful in so many respects.

Well, that is about all for today. It feels good to be writing again and helps give me some goals to reach each day. I think Keith's mom is coming over today and that will be nice. I have some cutting to do as well, so I know I will be busy. It is already sunny and beautiful out so I expect it will be a stellar day.

I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday! Have fun and do something to make your heart smile!
 

Attachments

#12,693 ·
The Scroll Saw Room - My "Little Shop"

Today's post won't be too long, but I wanted to show the progress that I made yesterday. As I mentioned, getting things how we like will be a 'work in progress'. For people like Keith and myself, we have little understanding of that concept. We like to have everything done quickly, efficiently and pretty close to immediately. We are just like that.

But in life, things can't always happen instantly. I think that the older we get, the more we realize it. No matter how well-planned things are and how much we do to head off delays, things still come up and take more time than anticipated. It is part of the process.

Yesterday's post showed some of the new storage pieces that I would be using in my scrolling room. I like to refer to this as the 'little shop' and it will be the place where I will be spending most of my woodworking time. Keith is building his own shop in the basement for his 'down time' hobby - RC cars - and he gets full control over that. While I will be sharing the 'little shop' with him, for the most part it is my 'she-cave'. I have never had a full shop to call my own and this is the closest I will be to that. I am sure that I will be tweaking things as I begin to work there and continue to set things up, but the main pieces are in place and ready to enjoy. I hope you like seeing it as well.

Window Wood Cabinetry Interior design Building


Keith put together the six foot work table yesterday. It takes up most of the back wall. I plan to put at least one of the scroll saws on it (probably the DeWalt, which is shown on the floor in the other photos) and work from there. I plan to have storage underneath it which will hold the pre-cut pieces for my kits as I get them done. I don't stay too far ahead, but I like to cut extras of the most popular kits. For now they are in the aqua bins on the left. I could use something like that to keep them in and just have a nice labeling system. I think that would work nice.

I assembled the two cabinets between the windows. Since I have the tool box, I may use those for storing the cut pieces. Initially I was thinking of putting them under the larger table (which is height-adjustable) but since they have such nice wood tops, I figure I can use the extra tables for working and hated to waste them. I like them clean like that with nothing on them at all so I have a clean workspace for whatever I am doing at the time. I think I will leave it like that.

The spongy floor pieces are great and really make the room comfy and will help keep the pine floors clean and safe. I am going to add more pieces within the next week or so and extend it further to the front and back of the shop. It feels really GOOD to walk on it and cleans up beautifully with the shop vac. I am sure it also keeps the noise to a minimum, as it no longer 'echos' in that room.

Cabinetry Kitchen Wood Floor Kitchen stove


On the opposite side of the room is my tool box as well as the sideboard that I had used in the apartment to stand the Excalibur and drill press on. For now we are keeping it, but we have some other cabinets that I may swap out that are similar in size. In any case, I think the cabinet is a perfect candidate for a DecoArt makeover using some of their beautiful paints. I would like to paint it black to match the rest of the pieces. (Yes - even in the shop I want things to match!) Everything is that "Husky" brand from Home Depot that I mentioned yesterday. I think for the money, the quality is really good. We have had the tool box for about four years now without any issues. It still is like new and is sturdy and the drawers roll beautifully. The table holds up to 3000 lbs and the cabinets are heavy-duty as well, with double steel doors. All quality wood tops as well that shouldn't warp or twist.

The corner there will do for now to get me up and running, but as I said, I will find a better way to organize the pieces that I have already cut. Maybe it is the 'artist' in me, but I want it to be nice. After all - organization means the best efficiency and that is my goal - to be my most efficient. The time spent organizing now will come back several times over in being able to produce things in a timely manner later. I am sure of that.

Cabinetry Flooring Interior design Floor Wood


The opposite side of the room opens up to a closet on the left and the powder room on the right. It will be a luxury to have the washroom right there when I am working and not have to run downstairs. I can easily keep the door closed when I am working on something messy and keep the dust out. The closet has a low, angled ceiling, but will do great for storing our pre-dressed pieces of wood. We need to add some type of shelving in there so that we can get to everything quickly and keep our wood from warping. These were mostly the pieces that were in the trays under our bed and dressers previously in our old place. It is good to keep them at hand.

The large cabinet holds my books and magazines, and printed patterns. (Yes - I have that many!) Everything is in alphabetical/date order and I can pinpoint what I want in seconds. No more hunting in this closet or on top of that shelf and having to move 20 things to get to them! It may be a small thing, but I can't tell you how happy this makes me! :D

Cat Vertebrate Tableware Wood Mammal


And what would a shop be without a "shop manager"? That's Pancakes inspecting the new workshop! :)

It is the little things that make us happy. While it may not be the biggest shop, it is a huge step up for me. I already have had some time to work in it and even though it isn't fine tuned, it is great to have a place to work and just take off my apron and close the door to do things like make dinner, answer the phone or fill an order. While I did the best I could in my kitchen previously, as our little business grows, I was getting tired of the amount of time that needed to be spent clearing things out and cleaning up after cutting to make it fit for its main purpose - as a kitchen. Also, it was open to our living area so that meant that not only was there noise there for those who weren't working, but all the dust as well. This is wonderful in so many respects.

Well, that is about all for today. It feels good to be writing again and helps give me some goals to reach each day. I think Keith's mom is coming over today and that will be nice. I have some cutting to do as well, so I know I will be busy. It is already sunny and beautiful out so I expect it will be a stellar day.

I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday! Have fun and do something to make your heart smile!
what a beautiful place, a very nice home, i love the floors, you and keith will love your ability to spread your wings, much more privacy , this is so great for you guys, i'm very happy for you both. enjoy this new chapter of your lives..and i bet the kitties are really wondering about all this new space…glad for you both.
 

Attachments

#12,699 ·
50 Shades of Grey and Other Adventures

If anything, we are learning that expanding to a full sized home from a one bedroom apartment is an 'adventure'. While customizing things to our own needs and preferences is fun, it is a lot of work and takes a great deal of time.

Yesterday we decided to take off to New Minas - a town that is about two hours away - as that is where the nearest Home Depot store is located. I mentioned before that I had not finished with my scroll saw room and one of the things that still needed to be done was to add in the shelving and some storage boxes to hold the pre-cut wood pieces for the kits that I am selling. Up until now, I have had three small(ish) Rubbermaid boxes that were about all I could handle in my little place. While they were sufficient for the most part, they didn't allow room for expansion or for me to really make things ahead of time. There just wasn't room to store them.

I find it easy to cut a couple of extra pieces when filling an order. Sometimes there is just enough extra wood to accommodate an ornament or two and instead of either throwing the pieces out of having to store small scraps, I just keep cutting. This is especially true with my most popular kits, and it is a nice 'surprise' to have the wood pieces ready to go when I receive an order for them. It makes things so much more efficient.

But that was a luxury that I couldn't really afford all the time, as space was so precious. One of the best things of having this new work area is that there is plenty of room for some extra 'stock' for order. That will make things so much easier.

So I wanted to make a 'quick trip' to New Minas to both Michael's and Home Depot, which are located in the same shopping area. Michael's had some great containers in a good size for my purpose and Home Depot had some large bins for my basement storage place that I will show in a minute. There was no time like the present, so off we went.

We did well and filled the car to its limit with containers. The day was beautiful and warm and sunny and we were back here by about 2pm. However, the move has taken its toll on both Keith and I and we were so tired that we needed to take a nap for an hour or two. Between the constant work and the sleepless nights planning everything, we have both been pretty exhausted. But the mission was accomplished and now I can spend the weekend staying close to home and continuing the organizational project.

The day before was a good one, although I had a couple of "hiccups" in the process. Keith's mom came over for a visit and that was nice, and I tried to do some odds and ends that I was meaning to get to. Our new furniture in the dining room would be arriving any day now and I had patched a couple of places in the wall where there were nail holes and so forth. The owners left the touch up paint for all the rooms, but there were several shades of grey paint to choose from. Last week I did similar touch-ups in the living room with excellent results. Keith was amazed at how the filled holes disappeared and how well the paint blended. You couldn't even tell that I did anything and the room looked great. But after a week or more of looking at spackled holes in the dining room, I though it was time to paint over them before the new pieces arrived.

I started painting and noticed the grey seemed a bit darker than before. For the life of me, I couldn't remember if paint dried DARKER or LIGHTER than it was when it was wet. The color was close enough that I thought I was doing OK, but as it dried, I got this sense of dread as the new paint looked quite dark and obviously didn't match what was on the wall. (sigh!)

Grey Wood Paint Cloud Tints and shades


Me being me - I worked fast and not only did this to ONE wall, but all THREE. What I had on my hands was a MESS!

Gadget Font Gas Ceiling Wood


Rectangle Grey Wood Tints and shades Plaster


Genius that I am, I decided to allow it to dry and picked one of the lighter greys in color. Instead of testing the wall in a small area, I once again painted the entire wall over. But alas - this time the grey was TOO LIGHT:

Wood Rectangle Shade Fixture Floor


Now I was getting sad. The last thing I needed to do was paint the entire living room and dining room. I would have to do them both because they are in essence, the same room and there would be no good stopping point.

Keith mentioned that he had taken some old paint to the depot to get rid of it that very morning. He said there was a shade of grey in the mix, but he thought it was an old and obsolete one. So off I went to the dump to pick up the paint.

I successfully retreived the paint, but alas, it didn't match either. There was one more candidate that I had but I didn't recall the label, as it was a different brand than all of the rest of the paint. However, there was no other choice but to give it a try and I did that in a tiny coner.

It MATCHED!! I can't tell you how relieved I was. Within about 10 minutes, I was able to cover the mess on all the walls beautifully!

Fixture Wood Rectangle Shade Paint


Life was good again! Now on to the next project . . .

I wanted to show you all Keith's progress in his basement shop. After cleaning the basement, power washing it and painting the floors, he is building a large workbench for himself. It is quite an undertaking but he is doing a great job at it.

He framed everything out to make it level:

Wood Floor Line Flooring Plank


Wood Flooring Ceiling Beam Hardwood


And then he began adding framing for the work table:

Wood Floor Hardwood Plank Flooring


He got further last night than the photos show, but I haven't been down there yet to get photos. I promise them for next time. :)

His workshop will be very nice and roomy and I am amazed at how he turned unused space into something so functional.

On the other side of the basement, I have my corner for all my seasonal decorations and painting surfaces. These are the bins that we needed more of. It is great to have them all the same, as they stack so nicely. Each bin is labeled on two sides with the season of what is inside. Most of them are only partially full, allowing room for expansion. This way, all I need to do is grab the appropriate 'season' and all my decorations for that season are right at hand. What could be easier??

Wood Shelving Gas Shipping box Hardwood


In the meantime, the kitties are all settling in nicely. After Coco's trip to "Narnia" last week when she crawled into a vent, she has been pretty good about not wanting to travel to new places. They have all loved the many windows and the many rooms to relax and explore in. I received and put together my printer cart a couple of days ago and they were all very 'helpful' in the process. I think everyone is settling in nicely.

Felidae Dog breed Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Wood


So that is it for today. I have loads of projects to work on this weekend. I will keep showing you all of our organizations stuff as we get them done, as we hope this will inspire you in your own shop and home.

There is still so much to do, but it is all fun and good and I am starting to feel less achy and more energetic. The hard part is over and accomplishing things one by one is really rewarding. It is all good.

It rained hard last night and the wind was howling. We have a large valley behind us and the wind seems to follow up it to the house. It offers great breezes on those hot days though and for the most part is a good thing. It is something that we need to get used to though.

I wish you all a wonderful and creative weekend. I know I will be busy here and I hope that I have a lot to show you on Monday.

Be safe and have fun! Happy Friday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,700 ·
50 Shades of Grey and Other Adventures

If anything, we are learning that expanding to a full sized home from a one bedroom apartment is an 'adventure'. While customizing things to our own needs and preferences is fun, it is a lot of work and takes a great deal of time.

Yesterday we decided to take off to New Minas - a town that is about two hours away - as that is where the nearest Home Depot store is located. I mentioned before that I had not finished with my scroll saw room and one of the things that still needed to be done was to add in the shelving and some storage boxes to hold the pre-cut wood pieces for the kits that I am selling. Up until now, I have had three small(ish) Rubbermaid boxes that were about all I could handle in my little place. While they were sufficient for the most part, they didn't allow room for expansion or for me to really make things ahead of time. There just wasn't room to store them.

I find it easy to cut a couple of extra pieces when filling an order. Sometimes there is just enough extra wood to accommodate an ornament or two and instead of either throwing the pieces out of having to store small scraps, I just keep cutting. This is especially true with my most popular kits, and it is a nice 'surprise' to have the wood pieces ready to go when I receive an order for them. It makes things so much more efficient.

But that was a luxury that I couldn't really afford all the time, as space was so precious. One of the best things of having this new work area is that there is plenty of room for some extra 'stock' for order. That will make things so much easier.

So I wanted to make a 'quick trip' to New Minas to both Michael's and Home Depot, which are located in the same shopping area. Michael's had some great containers in a good size for my purpose and Home Depot had some large bins for my basement storage place that I will show in a minute. There was no time like the present, so off we went.

We did well and filled the car to its limit with containers. The day was beautiful and warm and sunny and we were back here by about 2pm. However, the move has taken its toll on both Keith and I and we were so tired that we needed to take a nap for an hour or two. Between the constant work and the sleepless nights planning everything, we have both been pretty exhausted. But the mission was accomplished and now I can spend the weekend staying close to home and continuing the organizational project.

The day before was a good one, although I had a couple of "hiccups" in the process. Keith's mom came over for a visit and that was nice, and I tried to do some odds and ends that I was meaning to get to. Our new furniture in the dining room would be arriving any day now and I had patched a couple of places in the wall where there were nail holes and so forth. The owners left the touch up paint for all the rooms, but there were several shades of grey paint to choose from. Last week I did similar touch-ups in the living room with excellent results. Keith was amazed at how the filled holes disappeared and how well the paint blended. You couldn't even tell that I did anything and the room looked great. But after a week or more of looking at spackled holes in the dining room, I though it was time to paint over them before the new pieces arrived.

I started painting and noticed the grey seemed a bit darker than before. For the life of me, I couldn't remember if paint dried DARKER or LIGHTER than it was when it was wet. The color was close enough that I thought I was doing OK, but as it dried, I got this sense of dread as the new paint looked quite dark and obviously didn't match what was on the wall. (sigh!)



Me being me - I worked fast and not only did this to ONE wall, but all THREE. What I had on my hands was a MESS!





Genius that I am, I decided to allow it to dry and picked one of the lighter greys in color. Instead of testing the wall in a small area, I once again painted the entire wall over. But alas - this time the grey was TOO LIGHT:



Now I was getting sad. The last thing I needed to do was paint the entire living room and dining room. I would have to do them both because they are in essence, the same room and there would be no good stopping point.

Keith mentioned that he had taken some old paint to the depot to get rid of it that very morning. He said there was a shade of grey in the mix, but he thought it was an old and obsolete one. So off I went to the dump to pick up the paint.

I successfully retreived the paint, but alas, it didn't match either. There was one more candidate that I had but I didn't recall the label, as it was a different brand than all of the rest of the paint. However, there was no other choice but to give it a try and I did that in a tiny coner.

It MATCHED!! I can't tell you how relieved I was. Within about 10 minutes, I was able to cover the mess on all the walls beautifully!



Life was good again! Now on to the next project . . .

I wanted to show you all Keith's progress in his basement shop. After cleaning the basement, power washing it and painting the floors, he is building a large workbench for himself. It is quite an undertaking but he is doing a great job at it.

He framed everything out to make it level:





And then he began adding framing for the work table:



He got further last night than the photos show, but I haven't been down there yet to get photos. I promise them for next time. :)

His workshop will be very nice and roomy and I am amazed at how he turned unused space into something so functional.

On the other side of the basement, I have my corner for all my seasonal decorations and painting surfaces. These are the bins that we needed more of. It is great to have them all the same, as they stack so nicely. Each bin is labeled on two sides with the season of what is inside. Most of them are only partially full, allowing room for expansion. This way, all I need to do is grab the appropriate 'season' and all my decorations for that season are right at hand. What could be easier??



In the meantime, the kitties are all settling in nicely. After Coco's trip to "Narnia" last week when she crawled into a vent, she has been pretty good about not wanting to travel to new places. They have all loved the many windows and the many rooms to relax and explore in. I received and put together my printer cart a couple of days ago and they were all very 'helpful' in the process. I think everyone is settling in nicely.



So that is it for today. I have loads of projects to work on this weekend. I will keep showing you all of our organizations stuff as we get them done, as we hope this will inspire you in your own shop and home.

There is still so much to do, but it is all fun and good and I am starting to feel less achy and more energetic. The hard part is over and accomplishing things one by one is really rewarding. It is all good.

It rained hard last night and the wind was howling. We have a large valley behind us and the wind seems to follow up it to the house. It offers great breezes on those hot days though and for the most part is a good thing. It is something that we need to get used to though.

I wish you all a wonderful and creative weekend. I know I will be busy here and I hope that I have a lot to show you on Monday.

Be safe and have fun! Happy Friday to you all!
You will be amazed how fast all that space will be used! Best wishes.
 

Attachments

#12,705 ·
Slowly Returning to "Normal"

If this move has taught me anything, it is taught me that things don't happen overnight. Even if things appear to fall into place when looking in from the outside, there is usually a huge amount of work to make that happen. I am beginning to think that the more seamless that change appears to be, the more work it required to get there. "Effortless" takes more effort than we can imagine.

It has been over three weeks since we made the big move to our new place. (I actually had to check the calendar after I wrote that, as it seems impossible that it would be so long yet time passed so quickly!) These weeks have gone by in a flurry because every single day we were busy doing something from the time we awoke until the time we went to sleep. Later on this week I will show photos of Keith's progress in his workplace downstairs. It is nearly completed to his liking (at least for the time being) and he recently brought all of his RC's (remote cars) and accessories over and they all found a place. Just barely. Apparently he had no trouble at all filling up his workshop here. We are both amazed at how we have grown into this house.

As for myself, I spent the weekend working on finishing up a wood order that I wanted to go out the door this week as well as making the curtains for my new studio room. I will show photos of the studio later on, as I am still awaiting the two large cabinets to store my supplies which will go in there. Right now I have two large piles of smaller boxes of supplies there and while I know that the furniture will arrive any day now, it is getting rather troublesome to not only look at the stuff, but to have to fish through it whenever I need something. I can't wait for closure on this part of the move where I can have everything at hand and accessible without moving ten other boxes. I suppose I am getting a bit impatient.

But time marches on and here we are in the latter part of July already. Summer is half way through and before we know it, fall and the holiday season will arrive. There should be a law regarding how quickly these days are allowed to pass. How is one suppose to get everything done when time passes so quickly? I wish I knew the answer to that.

The shop upstairs is the closest room to being completed, which makes it a great sanctuary when trying to return to 'normal'. Below is a photo of the result of our day trip last Thursday in quest of storage containers:

Cabinetry Wood Flooring Floor Shelving


The shelf was from Kieth's mom's house and the small containers will be great for storing the pieces to the many wood kits I have and will be offering. It will help keep me organized and I will know at a glance what I have stock in and what needs to be cut. It was the last piece in the puzzle of our new shop and makes that room complete.

By the way - this photo was taken AFTER I finished up a large order of cutting yesterday. I have heard from several that "a clean shop is an unproductive shop" and I beg to differ. I find it very easy to clean up after each session and I like walking into a nice, organized place every time I go there to work. Perhaps it is because I worked in the corner of my kitchen for so many years that I developed the habit of cleaning up my mess each time, but I find no reason to have a mess left when all it usually takes is a quick pass with the shop vac and putting things back where they go. It saves lots of time hunting for things that are misplaced and also offers a much safer environment for working, which is very important.

Yesterday I was able to cut, rout and sand 100 ornaments for an order I was doing.

Table Wood Food Art Machine


It feels great to see everything ready to pack up to ship this morning!

Of course, I had the help of my two 'shop assistants'. Here is Richard overseeing things:

Wood Door Office equipment Flooring Hardwood


And (of course!) there is Pancakes making sure I vacuumed properly:

Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Plant


No wonder I get so much done! :)

It will take some getting used to, but I really did enjoy working in such a wonderful environment. I feel like a queen! :)

Today we are working on doing a newsletter for our customers and updating the site. Keith has three new pattern designs that he posted.

His first one is SLDK678 - Good Coffee - Good Friends:

Brown Cloud Textile Happy Rectangle


His second new pattern designs is SLDK679 - The Lord Will Fight for You:

Brown Wood Sleeve Font Rectangle


And the third and final new pattern this time is SLDK680 - Grapevine Welcome Plaque:

Rectangle Publication Petal Font Tints and shades


I love all three designs!

I don't have any new patterns now, but I do have a new pattern set that I created with my Birds of Prey that is available at a special discount.

Vertebrate Mammal Font Wood Pattern


You can access the set here: SLDBOPSET1 - Set of 4 Birds of Prey Patterns.

I promise that I will be back at designing soon. I have many ideas and as we settle, I am hoping to have more time to draw, paint and create patterns.

Little by little things will fall into place. While there are days when it seems that we are not moving forward, when I look back I see that we accomplished a great deal over these past weeks. I need to remember that and be positive about the strides we have made. Things like this just take some time.

With that said, I am off to get moving this morning. If you are on our mailing list, expect a newsletter later on today. I also have some new embellishment charms that I am going to be posting up on the site. These are fun pieces to add to your scrolling or painting projects, or any projects that you may be making. I think they are fun and will be something that everyone will enjoy.

It is rainy today and quite cool. It seems that the warm, summer weather of Saturday has come and gone again. What a strange year we have had here weather-wise. But as with anything, we just need to take it as it comes.

I wish you all a wonderful day and a great week ahead. Happy Monday to you!
 

Attachments

#12,706 ·
Settling In

As I sit here this morning, trying to decide what to write, I realize how much we have accomplished in the past several weeks. I hope that I am not being tiresome talking about our moving adventures, but for Keith, the kitties and myself, it has been a life consuming event for the past several months. Not only from the day nearly three weeks ago when we finally brought the cats (and the coffee pot) to our new place here, but it has been on our minds for many, many weeks before that. We had first come to see this house early in March, and from the time we did that, we knew this is where we wanted to live. Both Keith and I had our own personal visions of how we want our personal (as well as shared) spaces to be. From that point on it has taken a great deal of planning to make it into reality.

I haven't shown a lot of pictures lately, because we are still awaiting the five large pieces of furniture that we had made for us. We were fortunate enough to find a furniture maker in New Minas (about a 2 hour drive from our home) and we commissioned him to make these pieces to our specifications. We liked the quality of his work from what we saw at his shop, and felt that we would get something far better than items that were ready-made at a furniture store. We also felt good supporting a local business, as he had just opened his shop in town. By getting to him just a week after he opened his store, we were able to have him begin the job fairly soon.

Everything was made to order to fit into our home as well as fit our needs. I have two large pieces coming for my office/studio that will accommodate most of my supplies that I use daily. We have two large sideboard pieces for the dining area as well, as we want to store both kitchen items as well as some shipping supplies there. We do much of our packing of orders at the kitchen table and the printer will be right near there. (I will be showing that set up soon.)

Finally, we ordered a large cabinet for our laundry/mud room that will hold various cleaning supplies and our winter coats. We do have a large closet in that room though so we may change things up a bit on that. We will have to see when the pieces arrive and we are finally settled. We hope to get them all sometime this week.

Yesterday was spent doing for the most part, odds and ends. We cut the power for most of the day as we replaced many of the wall switches and outlets. I did some laundry and finally got my summer clothes out of storage (yes - in mid-July!) and washed them and hung them on the clothes line. That is something that I really enjoy - having a clothes line. It has been years since I have had that available to me and I have a really nice set up here with a huge pole in the back of the property. I just love how things smell after hanging on the line to dry. No packaged product can match that. Sometimes it is the simple things that make us happy.

I have designs in my head, but they are still incubating into projects. In the mean time, I decided that I will be working on my "Day 6" of Lynne Andrews' 12 Days of Christmas ornaments. I am a month behind and need to make it up if I am keep on schedule for this year. It is a great 'fill in' project for me to do when I am undecided or in between my own projects. Each piece is more wonderful than the last. (You can join my group 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews on Facebook and see all the beautiful variations that others are making on them and watch our progress.)

I can't wait to begin my own projects, but I think it may be a day or two before I start. I am still working on some things in my head and deciding which direction to go. It may sound odd, but first I need to get into a working routine again. But it is coming. . . .

So we are settling in nicely, I think.

I looked at my desk this morning and I feel very fortunate.

Computer Personal computer Computer monitor Peripheral Computer keyboard


The vision of how I wanted my office has slowly been realized. While there are still two small piles of boxes of supplies sitting near me in that room, I get just a little closer every day to being settled. Sometimes baby steps are the best way to approach things.

It isn't always easy to make the transition from being in high gear to being creative. That is one thing about my job that some may not understand. We can't just 'make' ourselves create. It needs to come on its own. By forcing ourselves into doing something that we aren't ready for, I feel that the result is not really optimal. It is best to wait and once again be patient. It will come.

As I looked around me yesterday morning, I saw my three kitties looking like this:

Vertebrate Felidae Mammal Fawn Whiskers


They are in pretty much the same positions right now as I write this morning. After the trauma of changing their own environment completely, they are finally seem more comfortable and I do believe they are happier. There is so much more room and so many more windows to peer out of. So much more to explore, too. While the initial change was a shock to them, as it is to us, they are also finding their own routines and settling in nicely. Perhaps I could learn a thing or two from them.

I suppose the theme of today's post is to allow things to take their own time and respect the time change takes. Immediate comfort in a new environment rarely happens in real life. That is more something that occurs in the movies. Feeling comfortable and happy comes with time and familiarity, usually only after there is some time to settle in. But once it does come, it is very much worth the change. Be kind to yourself and allow it to happen.

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

Attachments

#12,707 ·
Settling In

As I sit here this morning, trying to decide what to write, I realize how much we have accomplished in the past several weeks. I hope that I am not being tiresome talking about our moving adventures, but for Keith, the kitties and myself, it has been a life consuming event for the past several months. Not only from the day nearly three weeks ago when we finally brought the cats (and the coffee pot) to our new place here, but it has been on our minds for many, many weeks before that. We had first come to see this house early in March, and from the time we did that, we knew this is where we wanted to live. Both Keith and I had our own personal visions of how we want our personal (as well as shared) spaces to be. From that point on it has taken a great deal of planning to make it into reality.

I haven't shown a lot of pictures lately, because we are still awaiting the five large pieces of furniture that we had made for us. We were fortunate enough to find a furniture maker in New Minas (about a 2 hour drive from our home) and we commissioned him to make these pieces to our specifications. We liked the quality of his work from what we saw at his shop, and felt that we would get something far better than items that were ready-made at a furniture store. We also felt good supporting a local business, as he had just opened his shop in town. By getting to him just a week after he opened his store, we were able to have him begin the job fairly soon.

Everything was made to order to fit into our home as well as fit our needs. I have two large pieces coming for my office/studio that will accommodate most of my supplies that I use daily. We have two large sideboard pieces for the dining area as well, as we want to store both kitchen items as well as some shipping supplies there. We do much of our packing of orders at the kitchen table and the printer will be right near there. (I will be showing that set up soon.)

Finally, we ordered a large cabinet for our laundry/mud room that will hold various cleaning supplies and our winter coats. We do have a large closet in that room though so we may change things up a bit on that. We will have to see when the pieces arrive and we are finally settled. We hope to get them all sometime this week.

Yesterday was spent doing for the most part, odds and ends. We cut the power for most of the day as we replaced many of the wall switches and outlets. I did some laundry and finally got my summer clothes out of storage (yes - in mid-July!) and washed them and hung them on the clothes line. That is something that I really enjoy - having a clothes line. It has been years since I have had that available to me and I have a really nice set up here with a huge pole in the back of the property. I just love how things smell after hanging on the line to dry. No packaged product can match that. Sometimes it is the simple things that make us happy.

I have designs in my head, but they are still incubating into projects. In the mean time, I decided that I will be working on my "Day 6" of Lynne Andrews' 12 Days of Christmas ornaments. I am a month behind and need to make it up if I am keep on schedule for this year. It is a great 'fill in' project for me to do when I am undecided or in between my own projects. Each piece is more wonderful than the last. (You can join my group 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews on Facebook and see all the beautiful variations that others are making on them and watch our progress.)

I can't wait to begin my own projects, but I think it may be a day or two before I start. I am still working on some things in my head and deciding which direction to go. It may sound odd, but first I need to get into a working routine again. But it is coming. . . .

So we are settling in nicely, I think.

I looked at my desk this morning and I feel very fortunate.

Computer Personal computer Computer monitor Peripheral Computer keyboard


The vision of how I wanted my office has slowly been realized. While there are still two small piles of boxes of supplies sitting near me in that room, I get just a little closer every day to being settled. Sometimes baby steps are the best way to approach things.

It isn't always easy to make the transition from being in high gear to being creative. That is one thing about my job that some may not understand. We can't just 'make' ourselves create. It needs to come on its own. By forcing ourselves into doing something that we aren't ready for, I feel that the result is not really optimal. It is best to wait and once again be patient. It will come.

As I looked around me yesterday morning, I saw my three kitties looking like this:

Vertebrate Felidae Mammal Fawn Whiskers


They are in pretty much the same positions right now as I write this morning. After the trauma of changing their own environment completely, they are finally seem more comfortable and I do believe they are happier. There is so much more room and so many more windows to peer out of. So much more to explore, too. While the initial change was a shock to them, as it is to us, they are also finding their own routines and settling in nicely. Perhaps I could learn a thing or two from them.

I suppose the theme of today's post is to allow things to take their own time and respect the time change takes. Immediate comfort in a new environment rarely happens in real life. That is more something that occurs in the movies. Feeling comfortable and happy comes with time and familiarity, usually only after there is some time to settle in. But once it does come, it is very much worth the change. Be kind to yourself and allow it to happen.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. Happy Wednesday to you!
Your workspace has really come together. Enjoy many hours creating at your desk - with the help of your three supervisors. :). They are sleeping on the job!
 

Attachments

#12,709 ·
Longing for 'Routine'

It has been over three weeks now since we made our 'final move' to our new home. In reality, it is closer to four. I look back and consider 'moving day' as the day we finally brought the cats here to our new home and began sleeping here, after our bed arrived. One would think that we would be all settled by now. Anyone who knows both Keith and I know how much we love to be organized. While he and I have many differences in the way we do things, one thing that we really see eye to eye on is having our things and work areas 'in place' so that we have the most comfort and efficiency possible. It really is a way of life for both of us.

But sometimes 'life' isn't very organized, is it? We are thrown curve balls by circumstances and our own unrealistic expectations from ourselves are not met. It is then when we need to pull upon the 'flexible' part of our personalities and adapt and make the best of things. Sometimes that is easier to do than other times though.

Moving from a small, one bedroom place to a house has been a challenge. Not in a bad way, but sometimes overwhelming nonetheless. When we made the decision to move her in March, the moving day of July 1st seemed like an eternity away. We wondered how we would last that long and there was an incredible amount of anticipation and planning on our part. Looking back, I am grateful for those many months. Without that extra time I think it would have taken us twice as long to adapt. The chaos of living in disarray would have doubled in time at least and we would have had to push even harder.

Yes. We did it right. But it is still unsettling and takes a bit of time to get used to.

Things are coming along very slowly. I WANT to get back to a routine and producing as much work as I did prior to moving. I know that eventually I will get to that point, but the journey back has taken much longer than I could have anticipated. Are my expectations of myself too high? Or am I just slowing down as I get older? I can't tell which is the case.

As I look around me this morning, I do realize that we have accomplished much in these past few weeks. Last weekend I finished making the curtains for my studio room:

Furniture Property Comfort Window Table


Furniture Property Table Computer monitor Personal computer


The room is shaping up, yet not completed yet. I still need to make the cushion covers for the daybed and the small bench. I had purchased some lovely white linen for that purpose and I plan to dye it in a way that will make it look really cool and 'artsy'. (The vision is in my head!) It will bring some vibrant color to the "white room" and hopefully look wonderful. I also want to build a shelf for the wall to the right of the bed. I want to put a groove in it so that I can display a painting or several paintings at once and change it over from time to time. I am not a fan of putting holes in the wall - especially if I plan to change things. I think that this would be a nice way to enjoy my favorite or seasonal works of art.

We are still awaiting five large pieces of furniture, but got word that they will be arriving on Monday. Two of the pieces will reside in my studio. Both will be large cabinets to hold my (already sorted) craft and work supplies. One will go between the small window wall on that side of the room:

Wood Interior design Flooring Floor Window


And the other (taller) cabinet will go on the opposite side, next to my desk:

Computer Table Property Computer desk Furniture


As you can see, there are piles of supplies that will be finding a nice home. As things are now, every time I need something, I have to fish through the boxes and (of course) what I am looking for is usually buried on the bottom of the pile. I can't wait for them to have a home!

We are having two large pieces made as well for our dining room, and similar piles are located there.

Finally, there is a large cabinet for the laundry/mud room in our entry way and it will be used for storing house cleaners, the vacuum, etc.

It is hard to get 'settled' until these things are put in their places. Monday will be a big day for us, and once we have these large pieces, we can finally feel like we are well on our way to 'settling'.

Because of this, I have found it a bit hard to concentrate and get back on track. I have tried working on some new things, but even settling in at my new desk requires some getting used to. I can't tell you all how many times I have rearranged things on my desktop. I am trying to find a comfortable position for everything so that I can feel at home and at ease when I work. I can only assimilate it to when we drive a new car that isn't ours - we feel somewhat uncomfortable and awkward.

Perhaps it is just a matter of giving things a little more time . . .

Even the cats are still adapting. While they seemed to be getting used to the new surroundings, and liking them, the other day Richard and Pancakes had a horrific brawl. There was literally fur clumps everywhere and fortunately no one was hurt in the fight. Keith and I both had to run upstairs to break them apart, as they sounded like they were killing each other. Anyone who has heard cats fight knows how terrible it sounds.

After the fight, they were constantly growling at each other like the other was a stranger. They have been together for 10 years and while they weren't best of buddies, they were never like this. I decided the solution was to give them both a bath, using my Chanel soap that I use on myself. This worked once before when I had two cats that saw a stray and flew into combat with each other. I have read that they misplace the aggression on each other rather than the 'new' animal. Since the owners of our house here had two dogs and a cat, there is no doubt that there are still scents of those pets lingering.

In any case, yesterday morning was spent 'cat washing'.

Cat Domesticated hedgehog Wood Felidae Erinaceidae


That is Richard on the left and Pancakes on the right. When they dried out, things were a bit better, although we still heard a grumble every once in a while. Since they all smelled like me, it helped neutralize the aggression and calm things down. Go figure.

It is a traumatic process for everyone, it seems. Yesterday, I decided since I wasn't feeling very creative in my own right, I would work on my "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments by Lynne Andrews. I am behind in doing my six sets and working on Day 6. It was a good way to 'push the pile' and at least accomplish something.

Tableware Dishware Table Drinkware Cup


They are coming along nicely, and I hope to be able to send them out next week.

Vertebrate Dishware Blue Porcelain Serveware


At least seeing them come to life makes me feel there is hope. Not to be able to change the focus on to my own projects . . .

It is all a process and I need to respect that and let it take its course. I think I am writing this post this morning more for myself than for you all to read. I need to keep telling myself "Things will get back to routine." over and over again. With "routines" comes familiarity and comfort. That frees up my thinking and allows my focus to be on creating new things. We all work differently, but that is how things are for me. I need to allow the process to play out and respect the time it takes.

. . . soon . . .

I wish you all a wonderful Friday and a great weekend ahead. I plan on making my weekend wonderful and productive. Happy Friday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,710 ·
Longing for 'Routine'

It has been over three weeks now since we made our 'final move' to our new home. In reality, it is closer to four. I look back and consider 'moving day' as the day we finally brought the cats here to our new home and began sleeping here, after our bed arrived. One would think that we would be all settled by now. Anyone who knows both Keith and I know how much we love to be organized. While he and I have many differences in the way we do things, one thing that we really see eye to eye on is having our things and work areas 'in place' so that we have the most comfort and efficiency possible. It really is a way of life for both of us.

But sometimes 'life' isn't very organized, is it? We are thrown curve balls by circumstances and our own unrealistic expectations from ourselves are not met. It is then when we need to pull upon the 'flexible' part of our personalities and adapt and make the best of things. Sometimes that is easier to do than other times though.

Moving from a small, one bedroom place to a house has been a challenge. Not in a bad way, but sometimes overwhelming nonetheless. When we made the decision to move her in March, the moving day of July 1st seemed like an eternity away. We wondered how we would last that long and there was an incredible amount of anticipation and planning on our part. Looking back, I am grateful for those many months. Without that extra time I think it would have taken us twice as long to adapt. The chaos of living in disarray would have doubled in time at least and we would have had to push even harder.

Yes. We did it right. But it is still unsettling and takes a bit of time to get used to.

Things are coming along very slowly. I WANT to get back to a routine and producing as much work as I did prior to moving. I know that eventually I will get to that point, but the journey back has taken much longer than I could have anticipated. Are my expectations of myself too high? Or am I just slowing down as I get older? I can't tell which is the case.

As I look around me this morning, I do realize that we have accomplished much in these past few weeks. Last weekend I finished making the curtains for my studio room:

Furniture Property Comfort Window Table


Furniture Property Table Computer monitor Personal computer


The room is shaping up, yet not completed yet. I still need to make the cushion covers for the daybed and the small bench. I had purchased some lovely white linen for that purpose and I plan to dye it in a way that will make it look really cool and 'artsy'. (The vision is in my head!) It will bring some vibrant color to the "white room" and hopefully look wonderful. I also want to build a shelf for the wall to the right of the bed. I want to put a groove in it so that I can display a painting or several paintings at once and change it over from time to time. I am not a fan of putting holes in the wall - especially if I plan to change things. I think that this would be a nice way to enjoy my favorite or seasonal works of art.

We are still awaiting five large pieces of furniture, but got word that they will be arriving on Monday. Two of the pieces will reside in my studio. Both will be large cabinets to hold my (already sorted) craft and work supplies. One will go between the small window wall on that side of the room:

Wood Interior design Flooring Floor Window


And the other (taller) cabinet will go on the opposite side, next to my desk:

Computer Table Property Computer desk Furniture


As you can see, there are piles of supplies that will be finding a nice home. As things are now, every time I need something, I have to fish through the boxes and (of course) what I am looking for is usually buried on the bottom of the pile. I can't wait for them to have a home!

We are having two large pieces made as well for our dining room, and similar piles are located there.

Finally, there is a large cabinet for the laundry/mud room in our entry way and it will be used for storing house cleaners, the vacuum, etc.

It is hard to get 'settled' until these things are put in their places. Monday will be a big day for us, and once we have these large pieces, we can finally feel like we are well on our way to 'settling'.

Because of this, I have found it a bit hard to concentrate and get back on track. I have tried working on some new things, but even settling in at my new desk requires some getting used to. I can't tell you all how many times I have rearranged things on my desktop. I am trying to find a comfortable position for everything so that I can feel at home and at ease when I work. I can only assimilate it to when we drive a new car that isn't ours - we feel somewhat uncomfortable and awkward.

Perhaps it is just a matter of giving things a little more time . . .

Even the cats are still adapting. While they seemed to be getting used to the new surroundings, and liking them, the other day Richard and Pancakes had a horrific brawl. There was literally fur clumps everywhere and fortunately no one was hurt in the fight. Keith and I both had to run upstairs to break them apart, as they sounded like they were killing each other. Anyone who has heard cats fight knows how terrible it sounds.

After the fight, they were constantly growling at each other like the other was a stranger. They have been together for 10 years and while they weren't best of buddies, they were never like this. I decided the solution was to give them both a bath, using my Chanel soap that I use on myself. This worked once before when I had two cats that saw a stray and flew into combat with each other. I have read that they misplace the aggression on each other rather than the 'new' animal. Since the owners of our house here had two dogs and a cat, there is no doubt that there are still scents of those pets lingering.

In any case, yesterday morning was spent 'cat washing'.

Cat Domesticated hedgehog Wood Felidae Erinaceidae


That is Richard on the left and Pancakes on the right. When they dried out, things were a bit better, although we still heard a grumble every once in a while. Since they all smelled like me, it helped neutralize the aggression and calm things down. Go figure.

It is a traumatic process for everyone, it seems. Yesterday, I decided since I wasn't feeling very creative in my own right, I would work on my "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments by Lynne Andrews. I am behind in doing my six sets and working on Day 6. It was a good way to 'push the pile' and at least accomplish something.

Tableware Dishware Table Drinkware Cup


They are coming along nicely, and I hope to be able to send them out next week.

Vertebrate Dishware Blue Porcelain Serveware


At least seeing them come to life makes me feel there is hope. Not to be able to change the focus on to my own projects . . .

It is all a process and I need to respect that and let it take its course. I think I am writing this post this morning more for myself than for you all to read. I need to keep telling myself "Things will get back to routine." over and over again. With "routines" comes familiarity and comfort. That frees up my thinking and allows my focus to be on creating new things. We all work differently, but that is how things are for me. I need to allow the process to play out and respect the time it takes.

. . . soon . . .

I wish you all a wonderful Friday and a great weekend ahead. I plan on making my weekend wonderful and productive. Happy Friday to you all!
Your studio looks beautiful. A very comfortable, bright and cheery place to create. You've done a lot in a few weeks!
 

Attachments

#12,714 ·
Making Do

Having limited means can completely shut some people down. For others, it serves as a challenge - not only to meet, but often to be completely conquered. For them, having less doesn't mean giving up, but trying harder and often coming out of the situation even better than expected. It can be surprising what one can accomplish with a bit of determination.

I grew up with limited means. My parents were divorced when I was very young (at a time when 'divorce' was neither common or readily accepted.) We moved in with my grandparents and lived with them for my young life. Because we had very little, I learned early in life that we took care of what we owned, fixed things when they were broken rather than replace them and respect the things that we had. While it may not have been an ideal situation all the time, looking back I feel as if it gave me a good base of appreciation and respect. Not only for 'things', but for people as well. It is funny how some of these things that happened so long ago stick with us throughout our lives.

Throughout this time, I never really felt 'poor' or under privileged. Of course there were times when I noticed that others may have had nicer clothes or more 'things' than I did, but I can honestly say that I didn't dwell on it. We lived with my grandparents during my grammar school days and had a home like everyone else. We had responsibilities to do our certain chores each week to earn our quarter allowance. If we wanted something, we would save for it. During the holidays, myself and many of my friends would roam the neighborhood singing Christmas carols at people's doors. They would give a nickle or a dime (maybe to get us to stop!) and at the end of the evening, we would divide the extra money between us and use it for our gifts. It was a simple time.

These memories came to mind yesterday as I was working in my new 'shop'. For the first time in my woodworking life, I have a designated place to work. I am beside myself with happiness.

As I think back to when I began scroll sawing in the late '90's, I have never had what one would call a real shop. I always worked in a corner of the room somewhere, tucked between other things. In Chicago, there was the corner of the very packed garage. In the winter I had a small ceramic space heater and had to use gloves with the fingers cut out so my hands would not freeze. I was limited to working out there only a short while, as it would get to the point when my fingers wouldn't move anymore they were so cold.

In my first apartment, I sat on the closet floor. It was a larger, walk-in closet the size of a small room, but I had to drape plastic all over my hanging clothes so that the dust would stay off of them. I couldn't sand or route there. I had to go outside to the patio to do that.

When I came to Canada, I worked in my kitchen. In the three places I lived here, I was fortunate to have an extra corner in the kitchen in which to scroll saw. Again - sanding and routing were harder, with my choices being outside or even in the bathroom, with all the towels removed. It was the easiest room to clean afterward and contain the dust. I made do.

But yesterday, as I went upstairs to my 'little shop' as I call it, I felt like a queen. I put on my cordless headphones and apron set up for work. The set up was minimal, as everything had its place. I have two large work tables, a place to scroll, sand and drill. I came down for lunch and all it required was a quick vacuum and taking off my apron. No longer did I have to clean all the counters and floors and chairs to have a quick meal. It was heaven!

Within a couple of hours, I completed not only all of my orders, but extra pieces as well. I am trying to build up a little bit of stock now since I have the room to store extra wood. That way, I can work more efficiently and fill orders quicker when things get busy. I don't have to stop each time something is ordered and make things one kit at a time. It will be much quicker, easier and more efficient.

I realize that some may still consider my shop small. Compared to others' work places, it probably is. But to me, who is used to working in the corners of the kitchen and on closet floors, it is huge.

Cabinetry Building Table Wood Drawer


I got a great deal of work done yesterday in a short time. Not only was the process pleasant, but it was fun as well.

Wood Font Rectangle Hardwood Plywood


My biggest accomplishment though was realizing that by moving, we have opened up an entire new world for ourselves. I never felt deprived while working in my other places. If anything, it taught me to use the resources provided and make them work the best way I could for me. I think that is a valuable lesson. It also makes me appreciate what I have now even more.

Out of habit, I ran the vacuum after cutting every dozen of pieces or so. It only takes a couple of seconds, and when working in a small place, really helps keep things cleaner. When I was finished cutting, it took five minutes to clean my work space and put everything in its place. As I looked over my shoulder to leave my new little shop, it looked as nice and as clean as it did before I started. I smiled to myself and felt grateful. Not only for this small portion of my life, but for everything.

I came downstairs to see Keith drawing a new design at his computer while watching one of his favorite shows. He mentioned how nice it was for me to be able to work and cut without having to cover him in dust or having to hear the noise of the saw and vacuum and tools only a few feet away. I am sure he is very grateful as well.

We accomplished quite a bit over these past several years with our business. I am often asked how we were able to do it from such a small space. Whenever that occurred, it gave me a funny feeling. I suppose I never really thought about it - much like when I was a child and had to 'make do' with what I had. We just do what is necessary with the means we have. Not only does that teach us how to adapt, but it also teaches us appreciation. I believe they are both good values which one needs to be successful.

I am grateful for so much these days. Little by little we are making our new place our own. Today the rest of our furniture is arriving - the five large storage pieces I spoke about in previous posts. I am beyond excited! It will mean that the last of the boxes will find homes and I can really 'settle in' and the real work can begin. Designing.

It is a wonderful start to the week and will begin a wonderful new chapter in my life. While I did well in my previous circumstances, I feel as if I will do even better here. I hope you all come along for the adventure.

Happy Monday to you!
 

Attachments

#12,715 ·
Making Do

Having limited means can completely shut some people down. For others, it serves as a challenge - not only to meet, but often to be completely conquered. For them, having less doesn't mean giving up, but trying harder and often coming out of the situation even better than expected. It can be surprising what one can accomplish with a bit of determination.

I grew up with limited means. My parents were divorced when I was very young (at a time when 'divorce' was neither common or readily accepted.) We moved in with my grandparents and lived with them for my young life. Because we had very little, I learned early in life that we took care of what we owned, fixed things when they were broken rather than replace them and respect the things that we had. While it may not have been an ideal situation all the time, looking back I feel as if it gave me a good base of appreciation and respect. Not only for 'things', but for people as well. It is funny how some of these things that happened so long ago stick with us throughout our lives.

Throughout this time, I never really felt 'poor' or under privileged. Of course there were times when I noticed that others may have had nicer clothes or more 'things' than I did, but I can honestly say that I didn't dwell on it. We lived with my grandparents during my grammar school days and had a home like everyone else. We had responsibilities to do our certain chores each week to earn our quarter allowance. If we wanted something, we would save for it. During the holidays, myself and many of my friends would roam the neighborhood singing Christmas carols at people's doors. They would give a nickle or a dime (maybe to get us to stop!) and at the end of the evening, we would divide the extra money between us and use it for our gifts. It was a simple time.

These memories came to mind yesterday as I was working in my new 'shop'. For the first time in my woodworking life, I have a designated place to work. I am beside myself with happiness.

As I think back to when I began scroll sawing in the late '90's, I have never had what one would call a real shop. I always worked in a corner of the room somewhere, tucked between other things. In Chicago, there was the corner of the very packed garage. In the winter I had a small ceramic space heater and had to use gloves with the fingers cut out so my hands would not freeze. I was limited to working out there only a short while, as it would get to the point when my fingers wouldn't move anymore they were so cold.

In my first apartment, I sat on the closet floor. It was a larger, walk-in closet the size of a small room, but I had to drape plastic all over my hanging clothes so that the dust would stay off of them. I couldn't sand or route there. I had to go outside to the patio to do that.

When I came to Canada, I worked in my kitchen. In the three places I lived here, I was fortunate to have an extra corner in the kitchen in which to scroll saw. Again - sanding and routing were harder, with my choices being outside or even in the bathroom, with all the towels removed. It was the easiest room to clean afterward and contain the dust. I made do.

But yesterday, as I went upstairs to my 'little shop' as I call it, I felt like a queen. I put on my cordless headphones and apron set up for work. The set up was minimal, as everything had its place. I have two large work tables, a place to scroll, sand and drill. I came down for lunch and all it required was a quick vacuum and taking off my apron. No longer did I have to clean all the counters and floors and chairs to have a quick meal. It was heaven!

Within a couple of hours, I completed not only all of my orders, but extra pieces as well. I am trying to build up a little bit of stock now since I have the room to store extra wood. That way, I can work more efficiently and fill orders quicker when things get busy. I don't have to stop each time something is ordered and make things one kit at a time. It will be much quicker, easier and more efficient.

I realize that some may still consider my shop small. Compared to others' work places, it probably is. But to me, who is used to working in the corners of the kitchen and on closet floors, it is huge.

Cabinetry Building Table Wood Drawer


I got a great deal of work done yesterday in a short time. Not only was the process pleasant, but it was fun as well.

Wood Font Rectangle Hardwood Plywood


My biggest accomplishment though was realizing that by moving, we have opened up an entire new world for ourselves. I never felt deprived while working in my other places. If anything, it taught me to use the resources provided and make them work the best way I could for me. I think that is a valuable lesson. It also makes me appreciate what I have now even more.

Out of habit, I ran the vacuum after cutting every dozen of pieces or so. It only takes a couple of seconds, and when working in a small place, really helps keep things cleaner. When I was finished cutting, it took five minutes to clean my work space and put everything in its place. As I looked over my shoulder to leave my new little shop, it looked as nice and as clean as it did before I started. I smiled to myself and felt grateful. Not only for this small portion of my life, but for everything.

I came downstairs to see Keith drawing a new design at his computer while watching one of his favorite shows. He mentioned how nice it was for me to be able to work and cut without having to cover him in dust or having to hear the noise of the saw and vacuum and tools only a few feet away. I am sure he is very grateful as well.

We accomplished quite a bit over these past several years with our business. I am often asked how we were able to do it from such a small space. Whenever that occurred, it gave me a funny feeling. I suppose I never really thought about it - much like when I was a child and had to 'make do' with what I had. We just do what is necessary with the means we have. Not only does that teach us how to adapt, but it also teaches us appreciation. I believe they are both good values which one needs to be successful.

I am grateful for so much these days. Little by little we are making our new place our own. Today the rest of our furniture is arriving - the five large storage pieces I spoke about in previous posts. I am beyond excited! It will mean that the last of the boxes will find homes and I can really 'settle in' and the real work can begin. Designing.

It is a wonderful start to the week and will begin a wonderful new chapter in my life. While I did well in my previous circumstances, I feel as if I will do even better here. I hope you all come along for the adventure.

Happy Monday to you!
Sheila, I'm so very happy for both you and Keith to be able to spred out some now. How great I realize you feal. I also grew up under meager means and now enjoy a wonderfiul large home that my wie have lived in for the last 30 years. But I was retired from my first career (USAF) before I had anything to appreciate as I do this last half of my adult life. Your Work place is neat as a pin showing how much you care for the better things you now have. I likewise am one to appreciate having a place for everything and put things away when day is done. ENJOY Dear!

Russell Pitner
 

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#12,721 ·
On the Sixth Day of Christmas . . .

As most of you are going through probably the hottest time of the year, I am here in Nova Scotia humming Christmas carols to myself and working on Christmas ornaments. Things are going just as I planned.

Many of you know that I have been working on a year-long project of creating no less than six sets of Lynne Andrew's "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments (you can purchase the pattern book here: Christmas Blessings Pattern Book - or come and join our Facebook page dedicated to this project here: 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We Are Making Them! ) I am also selling the ornament blanks for the style that my pieces are here on my site (SLDPK19 - Elegant Bevel-Cut Frame Ornaments - Sold in sets of three ornaments.) The series has been wildly popular for both Lynne and myself, and I have cut and sold several thousand ornaments to date.

The goal of this project is to paint one "Day" per month, ending up with painting the final and 12th ornament in December, thus completing the set(s) and having them ready for Christmas. Me being me, I decided to make six full sets. Five sets for my children and some very close friends (whom are also considered my 'family') and a set for myself. By only having to worry about one "Day" per month, I thought I would surely get things done on time. To me, it is a way to make something truly special for these people whom I love so much and it keeps "Christmas in my heart" all year long.

The group has done amazingly well. Most of the members are doing one or two sets. Several are doing multiple sets, as I am. The purpose of the group is to encourage and support each other through this very detailed and very fun project. With our cyber-friends cheering us on, we are bound to keep going and finish.

So far, as we are closing out the seventh month of the year, I am extremely impressed with things. This wasn't really anything that I planned out. When I saw a project of Lynne's on one of our painting groups and ordered several patterns from her last November, I also ordered the "Christmas Blessings" pattern book. Upon receiving it, I knew I HAD to make these ornaments! But how could I do so in a timely manner?

Because of the friendships and encouragement from the Facebook group, I decided that the way to go was to create a group project where we can all cheer each other on. There is no time frame there, as we each set our own limits. There is no penalty or chastising if our personal goals are not reached. Only positive encouragement for those who may get caught up in "life" and need some cheering on. It really does make a difference.

Each time I post new photos of my progress, more people join. I encourage people to join our group even if they are not painting the ornaments themselves, but want to see what we are up to and cheer us on. To me, it is like the crowd of people watching a marathon. The cheers from the sidelines often help those participating make it over the finish line. That is what we plan to do. Without the crowd and fellow participants, it would be much harder to complete the race. The same is true for these beautiful, yet extremely detailed ornaments which are sure to become family heirlooms in every household. I like to feel that we are making a difference.

With that said, I am slightly behind my own personal goal of "one ornament per month". Here it is the final days of July - the seventh month - and I am just now completing my "Day 6" group. But as I tell others, it is nothing to worry about.We just need to keep moving ahead and I have no doubt that very soon I will catch up. Life happens and life is important. If I am a little behind or (God forbid!) I don't finish by December, I will finish up in January - or even February. The important thing is that I keep moving forward and enjoying every step of the journey, which I do. My recipients all love me and understand. If they did not, they would not be worthy of a set in the first place. They are patient and grateful and I love the excitement that they express with the arrival of each new piece. It truly DOES keep Christmas in our hearts all year long. Even when the temperatures exceed 100 degrees.

Last night I finished painting Day 6 and put the final coat of JoSonja's Opal Dust on the fronts of the ornaments. I think they came out amazing!

Dishware Badge Symbol Emblem Serveware


Here is a photo angled so that you can see the effect of the Opal Dust a bit better:

Badge Font Jewellery Wrist Circle


It truly makes them look beautiful. The thing is that the Opal Dust, applied as thickly as I apply it, takes overnight to completely dry. The final steps will be to apply the hot fix rhinestone 'berries' on the pine sprigs and add the hangers and tassels. I will do that today.

Here is a photo of the finished backs prior to me applying their coat of Opal Dust:

Badge Circle Jewellery Cake decorating supply Sweetness


I will be doing that as soon as I finish this post, and hoping they are dry by this evening. I will then be able to send them on their way.

I will also take final photographs of the ornaments I finished so far and show them on Friday. I have to head to New Minas tomorrow, so I won't be blogging. Seeing the set 'grow' is encouraging and fun in itself. It makes me want to get to the next ornament as quickly as I can.

I am not always the most patient person in the world. While I have endless patience in some areas, I lack it in others. As time goes on, I realize more and more that it isn't only the destination that is important, but the journey to the destination, for that is where most of the lessons are learned and the memories are created. Learning to enjoy the 'here and now' is something that many of us take for granted. Sometimes we are so busy with figuring out 'what is next' that we allow the present to pass by unnoticed. Then we look back and wonder where the time went.

As I pulled out my previous five ornaments to gaze at as I painted Day 6, I thought back to what I was doing when I painted each one. While in some respects, July has come far too quickly, when thinking back on each "Day" and what I was doing at the time it was created, I realize that the days were full and happy. I am thrilled that I have those memories and even happier that I am going to continue with this project for the remainder of the year (or more!) If anything, it is helping teach me to appreciate each moment that passes. I am grateful for that.

Jewellery Natural material Body jewelry Electric blue Font


"On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love taught me - appreciate for every moment of every day!"

Have a wonderful Wednesday. I hope you enjoy your day!
 

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#12,722 ·
On the Sixth Day of Christmas . . .

As most of you are going through probably the hottest time of the year, I am here in Nova Scotia humming Christmas carols to myself and working on Christmas ornaments. Things are going just as I planned.

Many of you know that I have been working on a year-long project of creating no less than six sets of Lynne Andrew's "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments (you can purchase the pattern book here: Christmas Blessings Pattern Book - or come and join our Facebook page dedicated to this project here: 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We Are Making Them! ) I am also selling the ornament blanks for the style that my pieces are here on my site (SLDPK19 - Elegant Bevel-Cut Frame Ornaments - Sold in sets of three ornaments.) The series has been wildly popular for both Lynne and myself, and I have cut and sold several thousand ornaments to date.

The goal of this project is to paint one "Day" per month, ending up with painting the final and 12th ornament in December, thus completing the set(s) and having them ready for Christmas. Me being me, I decided to make six full sets. Five sets for my children and some very close friends (whom are also considered my 'family') and a set for myself. By only having to worry about one "Day" per month, I thought I would surely get things done on time. To me, it is a way to make something truly special for these people whom I love so much and it keeps "Christmas in my heart" all year long.

The group has done amazingly well. Most of the members are doing one or two sets. Several are doing multiple sets, as I am. The purpose of the group is to encourage and support each other through this very detailed and very fun project. With our cyber-friends cheering us on, we are bound to keep going and finish.

So far, as we are closing out the seventh month of the year, I am extremely impressed with things. This wasn't really anything that I planned out. When I saw a project of Lynne's on one of our painting groups and ordered several patterns from her last November, I also ordered the "Christmas Blessings" pattern book. Upon receiving it, I knew I HAD to make these ornaments! But how could I do so in a timely manner?

Because of the friendships and encouragement from the Facebook group, I decided that the way to go was to create a group project where we can all cheer each other on. There is no time frame there, as we each set our own limits. There is no penalty or chastising if our personal goals are not reached. Only positive encouragement for those who may get caught up in "life" and need some cheering on. It really does make a difference.

Each time I post new photos of my progress, more people join. I encourage people to join our group even if they are not painting the ornaments themselves, but want to see what we are up to and cheer us on. To me, it is like the crowd of people watching a marathon. The cheers from the sidelines often help those participating make it over the finish line. That is what we plan to do. Without the crowd and fellow participants, it would be much harder to complete the race. The same is true for these beautiful, yet extremely detailed ornaments which are sure to become family heirlooms in every household. I like to feel that we are making a difference.

With that said, I am slightly behind my own personal goal of "one ornament per month". Here it is the final days of July - the seventh month - and I am just now completing my "Day 6" group. But as I tell others, it is nothing to worry about.We just need to keep moving ahead and I have no doubt that very soon I will catch up. Life happens and life is important. If I am a little behind or (God forbid!) I don't finish by December, I will finish up in January - or even February. The important thing is that I keep moving forward and enjoying every step of the journey, which I do. My recipients all love me and understand. If they did not, they would not be worthy of a set in the first place. They are patient and grateful and I love the excitement that they express with the arrival of each new piece. It truly DOES keep Christmas in our hearts all year long. Even when the temperatures exceed 100 degrees.

Last night I finished painting Day 6 and put the final coat of JoSonja's Opal Dust on the fronts of the ornaments. I think they came out amazing!

Dishware Badge Symbol Emblem Serveware


Here is a photo angled so that you can see the effect of the Opal Dust a bit better:

Badge Font Jewellery Wrist Circle


It truly makes them look beautiful. The thing is that the Opal Dust, applied as thickly as I apply it, takes overnight to completely dry. The final steps will be to apply the hot fix rhinestone 'berries' on the pine sprigs and add the hangers and tassels. I will do that today.

Here is a photo of the finished backs prior to me applying their coat of Opal Dust:

Badge Circle Jewellery Cake decorating supply Sweetness


I will be doing that as soon as I finish this post, and hoping they are dry by this evening. I will then be able to send them on their way.

I will also take final photographs of the ornaments I finished so far and show them on Friday. I have to head to New Minas tomorrow, so I won't be blogging. Seeing the set 'grow' is encouraging and fun in itself. It makes me want to get to the next ornament as quickly as I can.

I am not always the most patient person in the world. While I have endless patience in some areas, I lack it in others. As time goes on, I realize more and more that it isn't only the destination that is important, but the journey to the destination, for that is where most of the lessons are learned and the memories are created. Learning to enjoy the 'here and now' is something that many of us take for granted. Sometimes we are so busy with figuring out 'what is next' that we allow the present to pass by unnoticed. Then we look back and wonder where the time went.

As I pulled out my previous five ornaments to gaze at as I painted Day 6, I thought back to what I was doing when I painted each one. While in some respects, July has come far too quickly, when thinking back on each "Day" and what I was doing at the time it was created, I realize that the days were full and happy. I am thrilled that I have those memories and even happier that I am going to continue with this project for the remainder of the year (or more!) If anything, it is helping teach me to appreciate each moment that passes. I am grateful for that.

Jewellery Natural material Body jewelry Electric blue Font


"On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love taught me - appreciate for every moment of every day!"

Have a wonderful Wednesday. I hope you enjoy your day!
I know you're both getting settled in. Keep pumpin em out.
 

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#12,727 ·
Little Boxes

Yesterday I was away on an 'adventure'. For most people, it wouldn't be what they considered 'exciting' but for me it was a nice day.

Keith's mom had her knee reconstructed this past April. Everything went well and she is doing better than ever on it. However, she still has one more procedure to have done on her other knee. That will be done in the upcoming months.

Yesterday was a 'girl's day' in which we traveled up the valley to New Minas, where the main hospital is located. It is about a two hour trip, so it is something that usually takes the entire day. The reason for the visit was not only to get the first knee checked out by the physician who performed the surgery, but also to x-ray and asses the second knee and get things rolling for the second operation. I am happy to say that everything went well and is on schedule. Keith's mom is doing wonderful and since she has been doing her exercises and following all directions, he new knee is working better than every (and more important - pain free!) We spent the morning going through the system of stops required to get everything checked. By lunch time she not only had a clean bill of health on the first knee, but a tentative date for the second operation (September or October) to be done. All went well.

Since we finished by mid-day, we had the rest of the afternoon to enjoy. We had a beautiful lunch at a nice pub in New Minas. We both had steak sandwiches and fresh vegetables that were simply wonderful. We then stopped at a couple of our favorite stores to shop. There is a store here in Canada called "Winners" that I absolutely love. It is similar to "Marshalls" or "TJ Maxx" in the states (I think the chain is owned by the same company) and is stocked with odds and ends of name brand stuff for a fraction of the normal price. The thing is, it is different each time you go there. You never know what you will find. To me, it makes it fun and exciting, as well as slightly dangerous. There are times when I leave there with nothing and other times I break the bank, knowing that the products that I liked would not likely be there the next time I visited. I think it is part of the fun though.

One thing that the do always have there are beautiful BOXES.

Yes - you read that right - I said "boxes". Those of you who read often know that I am not only an organization junkie, but also a box junkie. I tend to save and even sometimes hoard boxes. It is a near-daily battle for me to actually dispose of a well-constructed box, and I have to watch myself because if I am not careful, I allow them to take over my world. I am not sure when this affliction began, but I believe there must have been one time in my life when I didn't have a proper box for something I was organizing and things began at that point.

The fact that places like Michael's and Winners now carry full lines of beautiful, amazing boxes only exacerbates the issue. Every time I visit these stores I need to act with restraint. It is hard not to dive in and just get more.

I pretty much had things under control for a while, but moving has caused this beast within me to once again rear its ugly head. With all the new places to organize and sort, there was a natural need for new boxes to put stuff in. It couldn't be helped.

So yesterday, I picked up a few more which I need to finish sorting my supplies that will fit in our new cabinets. I promise to show you all the new furniture in my studio, but I will show you the dining room pieces first. I am still working on getting my studio in order and frankly, I am getting a little tired of 'sorting'. Hopefully (I say HOPEFULLY) this will be the last hurrah as far as buying organizational pieces. I fear that the quantity of boxes exceeds the things that I want to store in them. I am not sure of that, but it truly may be the case.

Here is my 'haul' from yesterday:

Cabinetry Shelving Wood Shelf Rectangle


Aren't they lovely? The tops of the floral ones are 'woven' and textured. The colors are exactly perfect for my "white room" studio (I am going to be dying linen fabric for use on the daybed and the small bench in similar colors.) They were made for me I think.

The 'book' boxes are similar to several that I have already, and will make a nice presentation altogether. If I don't use them in my studio, they will fit will in the wall of shelved I have in my bedroom.I am sure they will come in handy.

Oh - and I wanted to show a full photo of the beautiful cabinet that we had made for us for our eating area:

Cabinetry Table Drawer Wood Interior design


It came out perfect for our open-concept dining area. We had a matching piece made for the opposite side of the room as well:

Both cabinets are made of solid wood and to our own specifications. We are really pleased with them.

I suppose they are kind of like "boxes" as well - just on a bigger scale. They will both serve us well to store our smaller boxes of things and supplies and dishes.

Little by little we are settling in. I can picture this room all decorated for autumn or Halloween or Christmas. Not "overly" decorated, but with some pretty, seasonal accents. For now, the walls look a little bare and there is a lot of empty floor space. We are still deciding on what we will be doing for the windows in that room. It is hard to believe that it has been a month since we arrived here. They look rather plain without anything on them, but with time we will get to deciding. It all takes time.

I can honestly admit that I am getting a bit tired of 'sorting' stuff. It feels like I have been sorting and organizing for years. I may take a break from it so I can get some designing done, as for now everything at least has a place. I think I know where everything is, too. I have a thermal label maker on order and perhaps once it arrives, I will be a bit more motivated to finish. I know it may sound goofy, but I look forward to receiving that.

Once again I came home to lots of emails last night. I plan to catch up with that and actually get some drawing done today. It is cloudy and it looks as if it will rain. I don't think that is a bad thing. We need some rain once in a while to keep things lush and green. It is a good day to stay in and create.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend this final weekend of July. Enjoy these hot summer days as much as you can. Before you know it, they will have passed and we will wonder where they went.

Happy Friday to you all!
 

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#12,728 ·
Returning to "Normal"

As we begin this month of August, I am finally feeling as if things are getting back to 'normal'. Defining what that means isn't always easy, but after months of distractions and preparations and then our actual move, it feels pretty good.

Everything essential to our daily living is just about done. Furniture is here and in place, boxes are put away and shops are set up. The most important thing though is that our 'creative places' are clean and comfortable and ready to be used for their purpose - creating and designing new patterns and projects. What a relief that is!

This morning, on the first day of August I can sit here and take a (small) breath. As I look around my new studio, I know there is much left to do. But I also know that everything will come in time. Right now, I need to work and get some of these ideas that I have on paper and into reality. It seems like I have been in a holding pattern so long as far as designing is concerned that there is a huge backup of ideas in my head. It is time to let things be as they are and change gears for a little bit. The decorating and fine tuning of sorting my supplies will come, little by little. Right now everything is 'kind of'" in its place and what I consider close enough to leave for now. At least until I get some new designs made.

I had in my head that the month of July would be dedicated to our home here and that is what I did for the most part. But now that we have flipped the page on the calendar, I realize that it is time to move on and focus on work for a while. That is something that I haven't been able to do for months, as ever since we found our new place here in March we have spent a great deal of time planning. To those of you who looked in as we made our move, things looked easy. But that was only because of the days of planning that went into things. You were only witness to seeing everything fall into place. It still was a lot of work, but well worth the time. One can never underestimate the importance of good planning. Even if things don't come out exactly as expected, with a good base plan they are at least 'close'. The little 'hiccups' can be dealt with as they come.

I spent my Friday night sorting through my good paint brushes. Since we had the custom pieces of furniture delivered last week, it was time to start fine tuning the things that were to be stored in my two large supply cabinets that are now in my studio. Don't get me wrong - it is a great advantage to finally have everything I use for my designing in one room. But there still needs to be some sorting done. But that will come with time. I figure I will start small and work my way through each "craft" that I have. I kind of divided things up into three major categories - painting and drawing, needlework and embroidery, and general crafting which includes paper, stencils, charms and embellishments. I decided to tackle the painting category first, and began by sorting brushes. I have a large box of what I call 'teaching brushes' that are slightly used by students when I teach, but these are my 'good brushes' that I will be using every day.

Musical instrument Keyboard Wood Electronic instrument Musical instrument accessory


While it looks like a lot, my painting friends realize that I am probably about the 'middle of the road' as brushes go. Some have less than me, but many have more. (For my woodworking readers, it is like your wood stash - you can never have too much!)

Once that was done, I felt really good about things. I had already sorted most of my paint, as they needed to be sorted for the move. I had purchased a pretty daybed for my studio in lieu of a couch or settee.

Furniture Comfort Building Bed frame Table


One of the things on my "list" is to make covers for both the daybed as well as the small white bench. I purchased some beautiful mid-weight white linen and plan to dye it for the covers. That will bring some color into the room and it will look lovely!

I liked the daybed idea because it will also serve as an extra place to sleep, since we are using the second bedroom as a shop. That way if my children ever come to visit or Keith's mom - they have a comfortable bed. (And it IS comfortable! The mattress I got for it is lovely!) I have even used it to wind down in the evenings and watch Netflix on my computer. I have a nice Ott-Light to the right there so I can embroider in the evenings. :)

The best part of this setup is that I got the optional trundle drawer for underneath. The trundle can hold a 7" mattress and up to 350 pounds, but what I am using it for is this:

Furniture Property White Couch Cabinetry


I am storing "most" of my paint there! How wonderful and convenient this is for me! I keep my most used colors in the front, and the lesser used paint lines in the back. I just flip up the rug and roll out the drawer and I am ready to go. It is working splendidly! :)

The next piece I want to show you is the short cabinet. I had this custom made for me by TWM Woodworking in New Minas. (William made all five of our custom pieces, and did a beautiful job!)

Wood Handle Cabinetry Fixture Flooring


I specifically had my cabinets made 21 inches deep so that I can store a maximum number of boxes and supplies in them. That is one of the luxuries of having a larger room. I spent the remainder of Friday evening organizing the rest of my painting supplies. They pretty much all fit into the top section.

Cabinetry Kitchen appliance Wood Kitchen Flooring


I wanted to show the nice drawers that I use for storing my 'good brushes'. I got them from Mary Kingslan Gibilisco and I love them! I got TWO units and stacked them on top of each other. (Of course, I have more brushes, but these are kind of my 'current set' that I use every day.)

Product Wood Natural material Rectangle Wood stain


You can get the brush unit on its own on Mary's site HERE.

Or you can get a nice 'starter kit' of paint brushes WITH the box HERE.

Product Wood Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle


Mary's brushes are absolutely wonderful and among my favorites. They are in the mid-price range and very, very high quality. Also, you can use the box for colored pencils or even scroll saw blades and drill bits! It is a nice and neat way to keep everything at hand. I need to decorate my boxes soon, but that will be another project that I will do later on. :)

I suppose I will stop here for today, as the post is getting long. I have so much to share with you all that it can't be helped.

I spent the rest of the weekend drawing and will have two new patterns ready for our update later this week. I think I will also have some other surprises to offer you all, but I will have to see if I can get them done in time. Keith is also working hard and created two new fish plaques that I think you will love. Here is a sneak peek at my ornament and plaque designs:

Head Hand Arm Human body Gesture


I have been in a 'Gothic' mood and I see several new patterns coming from me with that theme. Obviously these are some crosses to start with. I think they came out pretty cool! :)

I hope you enjoy seeing my settling in progress. I also hope it helps inspire you to get your own work space in order. For myself - I can't really function in chaos, so I need to have things in order to work efficiently. It feels good to finally get back to "normal".

I wish you a wonderful day and even a better week ahead! Happy Monday to you all! :)
 

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#12,729 ·
Returning to "Normal"

As we begin this month of August, I am finally feeling as if things are getting back to 'normal'. Defining what that means isn't always easy, but after months of distractions and preparations and then our actual move, it feels pretty good.

Everything essential to our daily living is just about done. Furniture is here and in place, boxes are put away and shops are set up. The most important thing though is that our 'creative places' are clean and comfortable and ready to be used for their purpose - creating and designing new patterns and projects. What a relief that is!

This morning, on the first day of August I can sit here and take a (small) breath. As I look around my new studio, I know there is much left to do. But I also know that everything will come in time. Right now, I need to work and get some of these ideas that I have on paper and into reality. It seems like I have been in a holding pattern so long as far as designing is concerned that there is a huge backup of ideas in my head. It is time to let things be as they are and change gears for a little bit. The decorating and fine tuning of sorting my supplies will come, little by little. Right now everything is 'kind of'" in its place and what I consider close enough to leave for now. At least until I get some new designs made.

I had in my head that the month of July would be dedicated to our home here and that is what I did for the most part. But now that we have flipped the page on the calendar, I realize that it is time to move on and focus on work for a while. That is something that I haven't been able to do for months, as ever since we found our new place here in March we have spent a great deal of time planning. To those of you who looked in as we made our move, things looked easy. But that was only because of the days of planning that went into things. You were only witness to seeing everything fall into place. It still was a lot of work, but well worth the time. One can never underestimate the importance of good planning. Even if things don't come out exactly as expected, with a good base plan they are at least 'close'. The little 'hiccups' can be dealt with as they come.

I spent my Friday night sorting through my good paint brushes. Since we had the custom pieces of furniture delivered last week, it was time to start fine tuning the things that were to be stored in my two large supply cabinets that are now in my studio. Don't get me wrong - it is a great advantage to finally have everything I use for my designing in one room. But there still needs to be some sorting done. But that will come with time. I figure I will start small and work my way through each "craft" that I have. I kind of divided things up into three major categories - painting and drawing, needlework and embroidery, and general crafting which includes paper, stencils, charms and embellishments. I decided to tackle the painting category first, and began by sorting brushes. I have a large box of what I call 'teaching brushes' that are slightly used by students when I teach, but these are my 'good brushes' that I will be using every day.

Musical instrument Keyboard Wood Electronic instrument Musical instrument accessory


While it looks like a lot, my painting friends realize that I am probably about the 'middle of the road' as brushes go. Some have less than me, but many have more. (For my woodworking readers, it is like your wood stash - you can never have too much!)

Once that was done, I felt really good about things. I had already sorted most of my paint, as they needed to be sorted for the move. I had purchased a pretty daybed for my studio in lieu of a couch or settee.

Furniture Comfort Building Bed frame Table


One of the things on my "list" is to make covers for both the daybed as well as the small white bench. I purchased some beautiful mid-weight white linen and plan to dye it for the covers. That will bring some color into the room and it will look lovely!

I liked the daybed idea because it will also serve as an extra place to sleep, since we are using the second bedroom as a shop. That way if my children ever come to visit or Keith's mom - they have a comfortable bed. (And it IS comfortable! The mattress I got for it is lovely!) I have even used it to wind down in the evenings and watch Netflix on my computer. I have a nice Ott-Light to the right there so I can embroider in the evenings. :)

The best part of this setup is that I got the optional trundle drawer for underneath. The trundle can hold a 7" mattress and up to 350 pounds, but what I am using it for is this:

Furniture Property White Couch Cabinetry


I am storing "most" of my paint there! How wonderful and convenient this is for me! I keep my most used colors in the front, and the lesser used paint lines in the back. I just flip up the rug and roll out the drawer and I am ready to go. It is working splendidly! :)

The next piece I want to show you is the short cabinet. I had this custom made for me by TWM Woodworking in New Minas. (William made all five of our custom pieces, and did a beautiful job!)

Wood Handle Cabinetry Fixture Flooring


I specifically had my cabinets made 21 inches deep so that I can store a maximum number of boxes and supplies in them. That is one of the luxuries of having a larger room. I spent the remainder of Friday evening organizing the rest of my painting supplies. They pretty much all fit into the top section.

Cabinetry Kitchen appliance Wood Kitchen Flooring


I wanted to show the nice drawers that I use for storing my 'good brushes'. I got them from Mary Kingslan Gibilisco and I love them! I got TWO units and stacked them on top of each other. (Of course, I have more brushes, but these are kind of my 'current set' that I use every day.)

Product Wood Natural material Rectangle Wood stain


You can get the brush unit on its own on Mary's site HERE.

Or you can get a nice 'starter kit' of paint brushes WITH the box HERE.

Product Wood Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle


Mary's brushes are absolutely wonderful and among my favorites. They are in the mid-price range and very, very high quality. Also, you can use the box for colored pencils or even scroll saw blades and drill bits! It is a nice and neat way to keep everything at hand. I need to decorate my boxes soon, but that will be another project that I will do later on. :)

I suppose I will stop here for today, as the post is getting long. I have so much to share with you all that it can't be helped.

I spent the rest of the weekend drawing and will have two new patterns ready for our update later this week. I think I will also have some other surprises to offer you all, but I will have to see if I can get them done in time. Keith is also working hard and created two new fish plaques that I think you will love. Here is a sneak peek at my ornament and plaque designs:

Head Hand Arm Human body Gesture


I have been in a 'Gothic' mood and I see several new patterns coming from me with that theme. Obviously these are some crosses to start with. I think they came out pretty cool! :)

I hope you enjoy seeing my settling in progress. I also hope it helps inspire you to get your own work space in order. For myself - I can't really function in chaos, so I need to have things in order to work efficiently. It feels good to finally get back to "normal".

I wish you a wonderful day and even a better week ahead! Happy Monday to you all! :)
i really am enjoying seeing you get all settled with the house and with all of your work tools, how fun, that big drawer would be a perfect place for some kitties to hide in…huh…i could see pancakes in there peeking out….lol…have a great week.
 

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#12,733 ·
Halfway Through a Huge Milestone

Those of you who know me know that I am a firm believer in goals. Perhaps I developed this trait while working with several arts and crafts magazines for over 20 years. I am sitting here trying to think if I was so 'goal-orientated' prior to those days, or if that was when it really became embedded within me.

No matter what the reason, there is no turning back. Goals are part of my life and imperative to keeping me moving forward with both my work and my life. I think they are a good thing.

Many think that setting goals is setting yourself up for failure. I don't agree with that mindset at all. To me, it doesn't matter if I always achieve the goals I set for myself, as sometimes I realize from the beginning that I am setting the bar too high. But whether or not I reach the goals in the self-assigned time frame is usually inconsequential, as they still function in keeping me moving forward and accomplishing. More often than not, that is the thing that is important.

Of course when I have 'real' deadlines I do my best to meet them. It is important to be known as reliable and someone that is trustworthy. This is especially true if we are self-employed. Self-motivation is a key factor in achieving success, and a reputation for getting things done when promised can make or break someone who is working at their own business. Keeping promises, doing excellent work, and being honest are things that give a person a reputation of integrity, which is something that is key to having a successful business. They all go hand in hand.

So the longer I do this the more I realize how important it is to make and strive for both personal and professional goals. As as result, it has become a habit for me to set goals for just about everything that I do. Some are obviously going to be more important than others. Many are just personal goals to keep me on track. What began as a business practice has become quite a habit that has bled into pretty much every aspect of my life. I like that, though. As I mentioned, it keeps me producing and moving forward.

Late last year I decided to make a goal for myself. I had seen a pattern from the very talented Lynne Andrews and went to her website (http;//www.lynneandrews.com) and I fell in love with several of her designs. I immediately ordered some patterns and her book called Christmas Blessings. I especially loved the book because it had the pattern to her "12 Days of Christmas" ornament set. I knew that even though I was very busy with my own work and designing, I HAD to paint it.

I got to thinking though of how beautiful this set would be as a gift for my close friends and family members. Long story short, I decided to create SIX sets of them. Five to give away and one for myself. It was already November though and making 72 ornaments in less than a month was too lofty a goal for even myself. Each ornament is beautifully detailed and has lovely lettering on it. While Lynne offers the option of using a marker for the lettering, I chose to paint it. So I came up with an idea . . .

I created the six "Day 1" ornaments in time for Christmas. I wrapped each one carefully and put a note in that each recipient would receive an ornament a month for the next year, finishing up next December. That way I would have the entire year to paint the six sets and each of my recipients would receive an ornament a month for the entire year. It was like an "ornament a month" club. I loved this idea because it not only gave me a bit of time to do things 'right', but allowed me to remind these loved ones just how important they are to me all year long. And besides - who doesn't like receiving a gift in the mail? I even set up a Facebook page called "12 Days of Christmas by Lynne Andrews - We are Making Them!" as a support group and we now are over 300 members. It seems that there are many others who want to do this project, but find it better to do it in the company of others. It is a real success story.

When I moved last month, I kind of fell behind my goal of "one Day per month". While I felt a bit bad about it, everyone understood. After all - if they weren't understanding, they wouldn't be on my list, right? So I am doing a little catch-up work here and getting back on schedule. I am pleased with the outcome and last week I finished up my Day 6 ornament. I actually have began Day 7 and will have photos soon, but I finally took the time to properly photograph my Day 6 pieces. Following are those pictures. . .

As with the previous ornaments, the Day 6 ornaments came out beautiful:



The colors that Lynne chooses for her designs are just remarkable:



Instead of using the porcelain ornaments referred to in the book. I cut my own in MDF. They are two-pieces and have a beveled center, allowing a bit of dimension when the center is pushed back into the frame. They are available on my site here: SLDPK129 - Elegant Bevel-Cut Frame Ornaments.



They really are a nice alternative for the porcelain. Making them from MDF also made them easier to ship without fear of breaking. :)

Each ornament is finished with a layer of JoSonja's Opal Dust, which is available from The Artist's Club.



And for my own pieces, each one is embellished with some beautiful Siam Red hot fix 2mm rhinestones from Rhinestone Canada.



I find this to be a beautiful, unifying element in the 12 pieces. :)

I love to see them altogether.



They look pretty cool in quantities.



If I feel bad about not quite staying on "schedule", all I need to do is take my own set out and gaze at them for a bit. (YES! I DO THAT! ;) )



When I see them all together, I get a feeling of accomplishment and pride. Each one is beautiful in itself, and together they will make an incredible display. I hope those who I am sending them to feel the same way!

With finishing up "Day 6", I am officially half way through my goal. I know we are now into the month of August, and I have to step up my pace a little bit on the remaining six ornaments if I am to have them delivered on time. I do feel back on track though, and I think I should be caught up soon.

These ornaments have not only been fun to do, but they have brought so many of us together and for me, I have made so many friends through them. Not only have I made wonderful, creative friends through the Facebook page, but I have gotten to know Lynne Andrews herself. She is not only wonderfully talented, but also a very kind and giving person. I hope one day to meet her in person so I can give her a nice hug and really have a good visit.

I love having art and artists in my life. This includes woodworkers, painters and needlework artists as well. The thing about artists is that they are focused on creating things and improving the world. At least that is true for the 'true artists' that I know. Somehow, creating something fills a need in our souls to contribute in a positive way to our world. Whether it be teaching, learning or designing, it is all good. It builds friendships and self-esteem and helps us look at the positive things that our world has to offer. It is a lovely way to spend our days.

I want to once again express my thanks to Lynne for sharing her amazing talent with us all. I also want to thank my artistic friends customers who allow me to do what I love. And finally, my family for putting up with my desire to create, hoard supplies, and live, eat and breath art. I hope to them it is worth it.



On to the next half of achieving my goal . . .

Happy Tuesday to you all! I hope you do something creative today! :D
 

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#12,734 ·
Halfway Through a Huge Milestone

Those of you who know me know that I am a firm believer in goals. Perhaps I developed this trait while working with several arts and crafts magazines for over 20 years. I am sitting here trying to think if I was so 'goal-orientated' prior to those days, or if that was when it really became embedded within me.

No matter what the reason, there is no turning back. Goals are part of my life and imperative to keeping me moving forward with both my work and my life. I think they are a good thing.

Many think that setting goals is setting yourself up for failure. I don't agree with that mindset at all. To me, it doesn't matter if I always achieve the goals I set for myself, as sometimes I realize from the beginning that I am setting the bar too high. But whether or not I reach the goals in the self-assigned time frame is usually inconsequential, as they still function in keeping me moving forward and accomplishing. More often than not, that is the thing that is important.

Of course when I have 'real' deadlines I do my best to meet them. It is important to be known as reliable and someone that is trustworthy. This is especially true if we are self-employed. Self-motivation is a key factor in achieving success, and a reputation for getting things done when promised can make or break someone who is working at their own business. Keeping promises, doing excellent work, and being honest are things that give a person a reputation of integrity, which is something that is key to having a successful business. They all go hand in hand.

So the longer I do this the more I realize how important it is to make and strive for both personal and professional goals. As as result, it has become a habit for me to set goals for just about everything that I do. Some are obviously going to be more important than others. Many are just personal goals to keep me on track. What began as a business practice has become quite a habit that has bled into pretty much every aspect of my life. I like that, though. As I mentioned, it keeps me producing and moving forward.

Late last year I decided to make a goal for myself. I had seen a pattern from the very talented Lynne Andrews and went to her website (http;//www.lynneandrews.com) and I fell in love with several of her designs. I immediately ordered some patterns and her book called Christmas Blessings. I especially loved the book because it had the pattern to her "12 Days of Christmas" ornament set. I knew that even though I was very busy with my own work and designing, I HAD to paint it.

I got to thinking though of how beautiful this set would be as a gift for my close friends and family members. Long story short, I decided to create SIX sets of them. Five to give away and one for myself. It was already November though and making 72 ornaments in less than a month was too lofty a goal for even myself. Each ornament is beautifully detailed and has lovely lettering on it. While Lynne offers the option of using a marker for the lettering, I chose to paint it. So I came up with an idea . . .

I created the six "Day 1" ornaments in time for Christmas. I wrapped each one carefully and put a note in that each recipient would receive an ornament a month for the next year, finishing up next December. That way I would have the entire year to paint the six sets and each of my recipients would receive an ornament a month for the entire year. It was like an "ornament a month" club. I loved this idea because it not only gave me a bit of time to do things 'right', but allowed me to remind these loved ones just how important they are to me all year long. And besides - who doesn't like receiving a gift in the mail? I even set up a Facebook page called "12 Days of Christmas by Lynne Andrews - We are Making Them!" as a support group and we now are over 300 members. It seems that there are many others who want to do this project, but find it better to do it in the company of others. It is a real success story.

When I moved last month, I kind of fell behind my goal of "one Day per month". While I felt a bit bad about it, everyone understood. After all - if they weren't understanding, they wouldn't be on my list, right? So I am doing a little catch-up work here and getting back on schedule. I am pleased with the outcome and last week I finished up my Day 6 ornament. I actually have began Day 7 and will have photos soon, but I finally took the time to properly photograph my Day 6 pieces. Following are those pictures. . .

As with the previous ornaments, the Day 6 ornaments came out beautiful:

Badge Body jewelry Jewellery Font Symbol


The colors that Lynne chooses for her designs are just remarkable:

Body jewelry Natural material Creative arts Jewellery Electric blue


Instead of using the porcelain ornaments referred to in the book. I cut my own in MDF. They are two-pieces and have a beveled center, allowing a bit of dimension when the center is pushed back into the frame. They are available on my site here: SLDPK129 - Elegant Bevel-Cut Frame Ornaments.

Body jewelry Ornament Jewellery Natural material Electric blue


They really are a nice alternative for the porcelain. Making them from MDF also made them easier to ship without fear of breaking. :)

Each ornament is finished with a layer of JoSonja's Opal Dust, which is available from The Artist's Club.

Body jewelry Ornament Necklace Font Jewellery


And for my own pieces, each one is embellished with some beautiful Siam Red hot fix 2mm rhinestones from Rhinestone Canada.

Creative arts Art Christmas ornament Ornament Circle


I find this to be a beautiful, unifying element in the 12 pieces. :)

I love to see them altogether.

Body jewelry Creative arts Jewellery Circle Art


They look pretty cool in quantities.

Tableware Dishware Serveware Porcelain Souvenir


If I feel bad about not quite staying on "schedule", all I need to do is take my own set out and gaze at them for a bit. (YES! I DO THAT! ;) )

Dishware Jewellery Body jewelry Natural material Serveware


When I see them all together, I get a feeling of accomplishment and pride. Each one is beautiful in itself, and together they will make an incredible display. I hope those who I am sending them to feel the same way!

With finishing up "Day 6", I am officially half way through my goal. I know we are now into the month of August, and I have to step up my pace a little bit on the remaining six ornaments if I am to have them delivered on time. I do feel back on track though, and I think I should be caught up soon.

These ornaments have not only been fun to do, but they have brought so many of us together and for me, I have made so many friends through them. Not only have I made wonderful, creative friends through the Facebook page, but I have gotten to know Lynne Andrews herself. She is not only wonderfully talented, but also a very kind and giving person. I hope one day to meet her in person so I can give her a nice hug and really have a good visit.

I love having art and artists in my life. This includes woodworkers, painters and needlework artists as well. The thing about artists is that they are focused on creating things and improving the world. At least that is true for the 'true artists' that I know. Somehow, creating something fills a need in our souls to contribute in a positive way to our world. Whether it be teaching, learning or designing, it is all good. It builds friendships and self-esteem and helps us look at the positive things that our world has to offer. It is a lovely way to spend our days.

I want to once again express my thanks to Lynne for sharing her amazing talent with us all. I also want to thank my artistic friends customers who allow me to do what I love. And finally, my family for putting up with my desire to create, hoard supplies, and live, eat and breath art. I hope to them it is worth it.

Dishware Tableware Body jewelry Serveware Circle


On to the next half of achieving my goal . . .

Happy Tuesday to you all! I hope you do something creative today! :D
Your tree is going to look very cool this Christmas with those pretty ornaments. Very beautiful!
 

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#12,736 ·
#1755 Some New Patterns

Over the past several months, it has been difficult to get what some call our 'real work' done. Both Keith and I have been torn in so many directions. But finally (FINALLY!) it seems that things are getting back on track and we are once again falling into a somewhat "normal" pattern (whatever that is!) It is a welcome change.

Being self-employed has its plusses and minuses. Obviously, I think there are far more plusses, or I wouldn't be doing what I do. I get to do what I love every single day - and that is a big plus - but sometimes it is hard to completely walk away from 'work' and focus on other things. To me, it is a small price to pay, but it is hard not to feel guilty about not giving my full attention to the career I worked so hard to achieve. After a while, it becomes ingrained in me that if I am not focusing on the business every waking minute, I am not trying hard enough and if I don't succeed, that would be a big part of the reason.

But over the years, I have learned that isn't the case. Taking time away for family, friends and life in general is not only desirable, but I believe imperative to being successful. It helps you recharge and remain excited and fresh about things. If your business is in your face and in your head every waking second of the day, you would soon burn out and grow to dislike it. The old saying "you can't miss me if I don't go away" certainly applies here.

So I walk away for a day sometimes. Or even a couple of hours. And I have learned not to look back when I do this. I used to feel guilty about it - like I wasn't trying hard enough - but when I return, it seems that I have more energy and enthusiasm than before left. I not only accomplish more, but in my head, I actually "like" the business more. It is a good thing for everyone.

I kind of feel like that now. After these several weeks of mainly focusing on our new house and moving, I really, really MISSED working every day. As I packed and unpacked supplies, and thought of all the potential they all have for becoming new designs, my excitement and enthusiasm has reached an all time high. (That is saying a lot!) I am SO excited about the new things I have in mind and I can't wait to create them. So let's get going!

I spent some time last week back at my computer drawing. This time I was making some new designs for scroll saw patterns. When organizing my files for backing them up, I saw that I had not produced a lot of new scrolling patterns of late, and I thought that I would try to do better in that area of designing. It wasn't as if I was being lazy or anything like that, but like my grandmother used to say - "We are like a pie - the more slices we cut, the smaller the slices are." How true is that?

I realize that my pie is cut into many different slices. My love of creating spans over many types of different media. I love woodworking, painting, drawing, and yes - needlework, and I hope to continue to develop each of these areas with new designs. I have many cool ideas and some even overlap each other. It is an exciting and happy way to spend my days - dreaming of what I will make next. And while I sometimes assimilate it to keeping triplets happy, I think that I can do a good job in the right environment. I believe that is right where I am.

We updated the site yesterday with some new patterns. Unfortunately for my painting followers, I don't have anything new yet, but rest assured, I am working on new things as we speak for you and I will be showing them soon - hopefully by next week. I think you will like what I am doing and I hope you hang around to see.

But for now, here is what I have come up with . . .

I was thinking ahead to fall and Halloween, and looking at some beautiful Gothic architecture and I had the idea for a couple of nice Gothic cross patterns for the scroll saw. I created two sets of four designs each, with three sizes of the pattern in each packet. This way they can make ornaments or plaques or even overlays for other pieces. I am offering a special for those who buy both sets, You can get them here on the site: SLD531 - Set of all 8 Gothic Cross and Overlay Plaques.

Gold Cross Font Religious item Red


Keith has also gotten back into the swing of things. Besides his new set of word in word Bible plaques that I showed earlier (SLDK684):

Rectangle Font Wood Handwriting Metal


. . . he has two new plaques from his Self-Framing Leaf Bordered plaque series. This time he used fish as subjects. The first one is SLDK240 - Striped Bass:

Rectangle Fin Font Wood Electric blue


The second one is a Black Crappie (SLDK241):

Rectangle Textile Reptile Art Font


I think both are awesome.

All of these patterns are available on our site by following the links.

Little by little things are settling in. We are finding that no matter how organized or prepared you are for something, some times things just take time. It does feel good to be on this side of things though. There are less 'unknowns' and there is a clear path ahead. I can live with that.

This morning is another spectacular beginning to the day. I use the term "spectacular" because it is warm and sunny, but not hot or humid. Just perfect weather as far as I am concerned. We have been very fortunate this year with our weather. This is probably the most comfortable summer since I have been here (12 years now!)

I wish you all a wonderful day today as well. Remember to be patient with yourselves. Don't forget that everything can't happen instantly. Some things (usually the best or most significant things in life) just take some time. Respect that and allow it to unfold as it may. It is part of living.

Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

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#12,737 ·
The "Ugly Stage"

It has been a perfect morning so far. (I know - I have only been up for an hour or so! But really, it is good!) The air is quiet. The sun is shining. The world is still asleep. I am on my second cup of coffee and the cats have been fed and are lounging in their various spots, dreaming of the next meals (or whatever cats dream of!)

It is Thursday, and I have a full day ahead to do what I like best - designing.

I say this like it is an oddity, and in many ways it is. While I truly love wearing many hats for my business, it seems that by the time I get all the 'mechanics' of things done every day, there is very little time left to do what the purpose of the business is in the first place - design.

I am not complaining really. Not really. Because if I didn't have the things to do like answer emails, pack and ship orders and all the other things that take me away from the design table to do, my business wouldn't be very successful. You can't have one without the other. Then there is the time that I like to spend on my own projects that I am making for myself designed by others. The list is long there and I doubt I would ever be able to finish everything even if I lived to be 100. But that is a good thing, right? No matter how many days left for me here, I hope they are filled with the joy I feel when creating. It is as important to me as breathing.

So having an 'open' day when I can just work on a new project is quite the treat. I have so many cool ideas living in my head that I want to show you. It is difficult to decide where to begin. There comes a time when I have to 'just do it' and pick on and go. So that is what I will do today.

Since I have nothing to show you as far as that is concerned, I thought I would show you the progress I made on my "Day 7" ornaments from Lynne Andrews. (From her book Christmas Blessings.) While I didn't get to work on them at all last night (I was too tired and went to sleep 'early') I did make significant progress on Tuesday evening. After showing the beautiful photos of my Day 6 ornaments, seeing the beginning of the Day 7 ornaments was quite a striking contrast. The polished, professional look of the Day 6 pieces was nowhere to be found as I filled in the four plus layers of washes on the Day 7 backgrounds. They sure looked - well - "ugly."

It came to me though, that this would be worth sharing. Every time I show my finished pieces, I receive a lot of compliments and a lot of people tell me "I can never do that" or "Mine wouldn't look like that".

I really don't believe that at all, and I wish I could sit down with each and every one of those people and SHOW them how easy it is. The thing about painting in general (and really MANY things in our lives) is that things don't always occur INSTANTLY. In reality, they almost NEVER do.

I think that we have been so predisposed to seeing things happen quickly or all at once that we sometimes forget that in all probability it took several small steps to accomplish. It doesn't mean that these steps are difficult, but they do exist and if we can retrain ourselves to get past everything having to look 'nice' from the get to until the finish line and realize that there may be several 'ugly stages' involved, we will be good. This involves having faith in ourselves and confidence and that only comes with experience.

So with that said, I present to you my "ugly swans":

Dishware Art Font Circle Fashion accessory


(I just realized the significance that these are swans - which also begin their lives looking rather "ugly". My cleverness was certainly by accident!)

So you can say your collective "YUCK"s and "EWW"S. I don't mind. Because I know that these little ugly swans will morph into some beautiful, majestic animals and take their place among their counterparts (the other ornaments) with pride and grace. They are already shaping up a little better in the next step:

Badge Emblem Wrist Jewellery Bottle cap


You need to trust me on this one. I am sure your project will, too.

It is all part of being patient and having faith in yourself or your teacher to walk you through this stage. Part of the process of creating may (and usually does) involve building a not-so-pretty foundation to carry your beautiful design. That way the delicate details can be just that - delicate - while the little seen base of the project does its job to give a platform for these details to reside. I think this applies to lots of things in life.

Too many of us are not willing to allow this stage to happen. We want everything done quickly and to not only look good at the beginning, but through the entire creation process. In most things, it just doesn't work that way. I think that not only acknowledging the 'ugly stage' of things - no matter what we are working on - but also embracing it will not only give us a better understanding of our projects, but respect for them as well. It is a very valuable part of the journey.

With that said, I will get to work on my new designs. I hope to spend some time this evening working on my swan ornaments. We will see what the day brings.

As a final thought, I wanted to share a photo of a visitor I had the other day.

Plant Tree Grass Natural landscape Fawn


Isn't she beautiful? That is right outside our side window. Being from Chicago, I appreciate things like this in my own yard. It only adds to my love of the country and the peacefulness of my home.

I hope you think about how many things in your life go through the "ugly stage". I think that being aware that it exists in many instances not only helps you accept what it means, but gives you hope that things will get better. It is just part of the process.

Iwish you all a wonderful day today. Happy Thursday to you all!
 

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#12,738 ·
The "Ugly Stage"

It has been a perfect morning so far. (I know - I have only been up for an hour or so! But really, it is good!) The air is quiet. The sun is shining. The world is still asleep. I am on my second cup of coffee and the cats have been fed and are lounging in their various spots, dreaming of the next meals (or whatever cats dream of!)

It is Thursday, and I have a full day ahead to do what I like best - designing.

I say this like it is an oddity, and in many ways it is. While I truly love wearing many hats for my business, it seems that by the time I get all the 'mechanics' of things done every day, there is very little time left to do what the purpose of the business is in the first place - design.

I am not complaining really. Not really. Because if I didn't have the things to do like answer emails, pack and ship orders and all the other things that take me away from the design table to do, my business wouldn't be very successful. You can't have one without the other. Then there is the time that I like to spend on my own projects that I am making for myself designed by others. The list is long there and I doubt I would ever be able to finish everything even if I lived to be 100. But that is a good thing, right? No matter how many days left for me here, I hope they are filled with the joy I feel when creating. It is as important to me as breathing.

So having an 'open' day when I can just work on a new project is quite the treat. I have so many cool ideas living in my head that I want to show you. It is difficult to decide where to begin. There comes a time when I have to 'just do it' and pick on and go. So that is what I will do today.

Since I have nothing to show you as far as that is concerned, I thought I would show you the progress I made on my "Day 7" ornaments from Lynne Andrews. (From her book Christmas Blessings.) While I didn't get to work on them at all last night (I was too tired and went to sleep 'early') I did make significant progress on Tuesday evening. After showing the beautiful photos of my Day 6 ornaments, seeing the beginning of the Day 7 ornaments was quite a striking contrast. The polished, professional look of the Day 6 pieces was nowhere to be found as I filled in the four plus layers of washes on the Day 7 backgrounds. They sure looked - well - "ugly."

It came to me though, that this would be worth sharing. Every time I show my finished pieces, I receive a lot of compliments and a lot of people tell me "I can never do that" or "Mine wouldn't look like that".

I really don't believe that at all, and I wish I could sit down with each and every one of those people and SHOW them how easy it is. The thing about painting in general (and really MANY things in our lives) is that things don't always occur INSTANTLY. In reality, they almost NEVER do.

I think that we have been so predisposed to seeing things happen quickly or all at once that we sometimes forget that in all probability it took several small steps to accomplish. It doesn't mean that these steps are difficult, but they do exist and if we can retrain ourselves to get past everything having to look 'nice' from the get to until the finish line and realize that there may be several 'ugly stages' involved, we will be good. This involves having faith in ourselves and confidence and that only comes with experience.

So with that said, I present to you my "ugly swans":

Dishware Art Font Circle Fashion accessory


(I just realized the significance that these are swans - which also begin their lives looking rather "ugly". My cleverness was certainly by accident!)

So you can say your collective "YUCK"s and "EWW"S. I don't mind. Because I know that these little ugly swans will morph into some beautiful, majestic animals and take their place among their counterparts (the other ornaments) with pride and grace. They are already shaping up a little better in the next step:

Badge Emblem Wrist Jewellery Bottle cap


You need to trust me on this one. I am sure your project will, too.

It is all part of being patient and having faith in yourself or your teacher to walk you through this stage. Part of the process of creating may (and usually does) involve building a not-so-pretty foundation to carry your beautiful design. That way the delicate details can be just that - delicate - while the little seen base of the project does its job to give a platform for these details to reside. I think this applies to lots of things in life.

Too many of us are not willing to allow this stage to happen. We want everything done quickly and to not only look good at the beginning, but through the entire creation process. In most things, it just doesn't work that way. I think that not only acknowledging the 'ugly stage' of things - no matter what we are working on - but also embracing it will not only give us a better understanding of our projects, but respect for them as well. It is a very valuable part of the journey.

With that said, I will get to work on my new designs. I hope to spend some time this evening working on my swan ornaments. We will see what the day brings.

As a final thought, I wanted to share a photo of a visitor I had the other day.

Plant Tree Grass Natural landscape Fawn


Isn't she beautiful? That is right outside our side window. Being from Chicago, I appreciate things like this in my own yard. It only adds to my love of the country and the peacefulness of my home.

I hope you think about how many things in your life go through the "ugly stage". I think that being aware that it exists in many instances not only helps you accept what it means, but gives you hope that things will get better. It is just part of the process.

Iwish you all a wonderful day today. Happy Thursday to you all!
It's good to hear ya'll are getting settled in. Moving takes a lot out of anyone. That deer in the yard is a beautiful site. Just yesterday, while talking on the phone, a white tail came running through my yard just outside my window at full bore. She was almost like a blur, but in an almost full run. I love the country and all it's beauty.
 

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#12,743 ·
Details

I really am a sucker for details. while I do like all kinds of designs, I really think that details are what set certain designs apart. As I look at my list of favorite designers, I think the ones with the extra 'touches' and fine details are really the ones that head my list. I am certainly drawn to them.

I believe that is the appeal of the "12 Days" set of ornaments that I am painting by Lynne Andrews. Her work is a beautiful combination of kind of a 'refined country' look with lots of little details and extras. These little touches don't necessarily take a great deal of extra time or difficulty, but they certainly add a lot to the overall composition of the design and I believe that is a huge part of their appeal.

When first gazing at them, one is drawn in to really "look" at what is going on in the design. It grabs you and holds your attention. Besides that - they are really, really fun to paint! I love every one of them.

The other day I showed you my "sloppy swans" that I was working on for Day 7. I wanted to do this because many of you who read don't realize that just about everything we paint needs to go through several steps to look as nice as it does when completed. I always tell my students that these steps shouldn't be intimidating. Think of them as climbing a set of stairs. If there are 14 steps and you try to get from step one to step 14 all at once, of course you will have difficulties. But taking things one stair at a time is easy, and before long you are standing at the top. (Perhaps that is why they call them "steps"?!?)

The same applies to so many things in life. By breaking things down, you are dividing the process into easy, palatable steps. It may take some time, but little by little you accomplish and see that it really isn't that difficult to advance from one step to the next. It is a process and embracing that process is part of the fun. I think so anyway.

Last night, I spent some more time painting my Day 7 ornaments. I finished the main base coats on all six of them, and decided to go ahead and 'finish' the main design of at least one. That way I knew I would be on the right track. (And let's face it - I was impatient to see how it would come out!)

Here is a photo of all six in progress:

Tableware Dishware Food Serveware Cake decorating supply


. . . and her is the 'finished' swan swimming. . .

Dishware Badge Bird Circle Font


I am excited because it looks so lovely!

I decided to stop there and I will hopefully finish these up this weekend. Then I can send days 6 and 7 both together to their respective homes. :)

During the day, I was busy as well. Besides cutting wood orders (in my wonderful shop - yes - I am bragging! :D ) I also starting drawing up my new design for my painting followers.

I have a passion for anything "bee". I love bees and bee art and all kinds of bee things. Not too long ago I created some self-framing beehive ornaments (SLDPK132 - Beehive Bevel-Cut Ornaments) and I wanted to create a painting pattern for them.

Font Gesture Circle Sharing Event


I cut a larger beehive plaque too that I will be adding to the site soon. I want to make a 'set' using these piece that can be used together as a vignette, or each piece on its own.

I also have recently found some ADORABLE charms that I will be offering on my Embellishment page for sale. They are really excellent quality and I am able to offer them at really reasonable prices. I have LOTS of them in stock and will be adding them as I find places for them in my designs. The first four sets on the page are selling very well and I am pleased about that. (It seems that I am not the only one who loves details!)

In any case, here is a picture of the bee charm:

Body jewelry Pollinator Religious item Artifact Necklace


Isn't it adorable? It is made of a metal alloy, as all the charms I will be carrying are, and I can think of thousands of uses for them! I added an eye pin and a jump ring to the bee to make it dangle from the bottom of the hive:

Body jewelry Earrings Finger Creative arts Silver


Then I drilled a tiny pilot hole for the screw to enter the ornament. This way, if people don't want the charms, they can easily fill the TINY hole in the bottom and it won't be seen. (But who wouldn't want them?? Right??)

Look how cute this is!!!

Body jewelry Finger Creative arts Art Jewellery


I am so excited about these! I think you will be as well. They are not only appropriate for my painted items, but my scroll sawn designs as well as my upcoming embroidery designs. Sometimes it is the little touches and details that make our work stand out from the rest.

Today I will finish drawing and start painting these new designs. I will also be working on my 12 days over the weekend and perhaps even drawing some new scroll saw designs. My head is really filled with ideas and I hope to get as many new things done as I can. It is a great time in my creative life. The time that I had 'off' gave me time to think of MANY new things to make!

I may or may not blog for Monday because I have to spend the day in Halifax doing some errands. We are probably leaving early, so I won't have time to write. But I will be back on Tuesday for sure and have more updates on my progress.

It is bright and sunny and cool again this morning. It looks to be another perfect day here in Nova Scotia. I expect the farmers want it to rain though so maybe we will get some over the weekend. At least it isn't broiling hot as many of you are experiencing.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Have fun and play nice and safe! Happy Friday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,744 ·
Details

I really am a sucker for details. while I do like all kinds of designs, I really think that details are what set certain designs apart. As I look at my list of favorite designers, I think the ones with the extra 'touches' and fine details are really the ones that head my list. I am certainly drawn to them.

I believe that is the appeal of the "12 Days" set of ornaments that I am painting by Lynne Andrews. Her work is a beautiful combination of kind of a 'refined country' look with lots of little details and extras. These little touches don't necessarily take a great deal of extra time or difficulty, but they certainly add a lot to the overall composition of the design and I believe that is a huge part of their appeal.

When first gazing at them, one is drawn in to really "look" at what is going on in the design. It grabs you and holds your attention. Besides that - they are really, really fun to paint! I love every one of them.

The other day I showed you my "sloppy swans" that I was working on for Day 7. I wanted to do this because many of you who read don't realize that just about everything we paint needs to go through several steps to look as nice as it does when completed. I always tell my students that these steps shouldn't be intimidating. Think of them as climbing a set of stairs. If there are 14 steps and you try to get from step one to step 14 all at once, of course you will have difficulties. But taking things one stair at a time is easy, and before long you are standing at the top. (Perhaps that is why they call them "steps"?!?)

The same applies to so many things in life. By breaking things down, you are dividing the process into easy, palatable steps. It may take some time, but little by little you accomplish and see that it really isn't that difficult to advance from one step to the next. It is a process and embracing that process is part of the fun. I think so anyway.

Last night, I spent some more time painting my Day 7 ornaments. I finished the main base coats on all six of them, and decided to go ahead and 'finish' the main design of at least one. That way I knew I would be on the right track. (And let's face it - I was impatient to see how it would come out!)

Here is a photo of all six in progress:

Tableware Dishware Food Serveware Cake decorating supply


. . . and her is the 'finished' swan swimming. . .

Dishware Badge Bird Circle Font


I am excited because it looks so lovely!

I decided to stop there and I will hopefully finish these up this weekend. Then I can send days 6 and 7 both together to their respective homes. :)

During the day, I was busy as well. Besides cutting wood orders (in my wonderful shop - yes - I am bragging! :D ) I also starting drawing up my new design for my painting followers.

I have a passion for anything "bee". I love bees and bee art and all kinds of bee things. Not too long ago I created some self-framing beehive ornaments (SLDPK132 - Beehive Bevel-Cut Ornaments) and I wanted to create a painting pattern for them.

Font Gesture Circle Sharing Event


I cut a larger beehive plaque too that I will be adding to the site soon. I want to make a 'set' using these piece that can be used together as a vignette, or each piece on its own.

I also have recently found some ADORABLE charms that I will be offering on my Embellishment page for sale. They are really excellent quality and I am able to offer them at really reasonable prices. I have LOTS of them in stock and will be adding them as I find places for them in my designs. The first four sets on the page are selling very well and I am pleased about that. (It seems that I am not the only one who loves details!)

In any case, here is a picture of the bee charm:

Body jewelry Pollinator Religious item Artifact Necklace


Isn't it adorable? It is made of a metal alloy, as all the charms I will be carrying are, and I can think of thousands of uses for them! I added an eye pin and a jump ring to the bee to make it dangle from the bottom of the hive:

Body jewelry Earrings Finger Creative arts Silver


Then I drilled a tiny pilot hole for the screw to enter the ornament. This way, if people don't want the charms, they can easily fill the TINY hole in the bottom and it won't be seen. (But who wouldn't want them?? Right??)

Look how cute this is!!!

Body jewelry Finger Creative arts Art Jewellery


I am so excited about these! I think you will be as well. They are not only appropriate for my painted items, but my scroll sawn designs as well as my upcoming embroidery designs. Sometimes it is the little touches and details that make our work stand out from the rest.

Today I will finish drawing and start painting these new designs. I will also be working on my 12 days over the weekend and perhaps even drawing some new scroll saw designs. My head is really filled with ideas and I hope to get as many new things done as I can. It is a great time in my creative life. The time that I had 'off' gave me time to think of MANY new things to make!

I may or may not blog for Monday because I have to spend the day in Halifax doing some errands. We are probably leaving early, so I won't have time to write. But I will be back on Tuesday for sure and have more updates on my progress.

It is bright and sunny and cool again this morning. It looks to be another perfect day here in Nova Scotia. I expect the farmers want it to rain though so maybe we will get some over the weekend. At least it isn't broiling hot as many of you are experiencing.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Have fun and play nice and safe! Happy Friday to you all!
You're just having too much fun these days . . . but keep it up!!! Like the idea of the bee hives.
Have a great weekend.
 

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#12,746 ·
Short Post to Catch Up

Good morning to you all. It has been quite a busy weekend and I have a busy week ahead as well, so this will be just a short post to catch everyone up on what I am working on.

Over the weekend, I had several new orders that I had to cut. Once again, I really enjoyed working in the new shop upstairs. It was such a difference from working from the corner of the kitchen. Even though I made do for years, it feels so good to actually have room to do what I need to do - without making a mess of our regular living area. I am very grateful for my new situation and I will try to use the space in the best way I can. I am sure that it will result in much more efficiency. That probably translates to more projects. :)

On Sunday we had Keith's mom over and made a great dinner. The day was lovely and besides eating yet another feast, I was able to get some work done on my little beehive ornaments. These are the ones that I showed the other day that will be able to accommodate the small dangling bee charms. Each one will have a tiny pilot hole drilled into them for the charms. I figure if people do not want them, the hole is small and easy to fill with a little wood filler. I think that will work the best and offer the least amount of confusion.

I also created a new surface which is a larger beehive. This one will be used for a plaque. It is about 8" wide and 9" tall and is just as cute as the little ones are.

I began working on them on Sunday, and this is how far I got:

Food Cuisine Font Hat Baked goods


So far I am pleased with the result - but the BEST part is yet to come. :)

I had to go to Halifax for some things yesterday, so my Monday was rather 'lost' work wise. We didn't return until the evening, and I was so tired I went to bed around 9pm. But that left me feeling rested and ready to tackle today.

I am going to be working on them all day today and I should be able to update you all tomorrow. I have already had inquiries for them, but I prefer to wait until I get my patterns done until I post them on the site. Again - that will cause the least amount of confusion.

With that said, I will keep my promise in keeping this blog short. (You didn't think I could do it, did you??)

I wish you all a wonderful and creative day today. Happy Tuesday to you! :D
 

Attachments

#12,747 ·
Short Post to Catch Up

Good morning to you all. It has been quite a busy weekend and I have a busy week ahead as well, so this will be just a short post to catch everyone up on what I am working on.

Over the weekend, I had several new orders that I had to cut. Once again, I really enjoyed working in the new shop upstairs. It was such a difference from working from the corner of the kitchen. Even though I made do for years, it feels so good to actually have room to do what I need to do - without making a mess of our regular living area. I am very grateful for my new situation and I will try to use the space in the best way I can. I am sure that it will result in much more efficiency. That probably translates to more projects. :)

On Sunday we had Keith's mom over and made a great dinner. The day was lovely and besides eating yet another feast, I was able to get some work done on my little beehive ornaments. These are the ones that I showed the other day that will be able to accommodate the small dangling bee charms. Each one will have a tiny pilot hole drilled into them for the charms. I figure if people do not want them, the hole is small and easy to fill with a little wood filler. I think that will work the best and offer the least amount of confusion.

I also created a new surface which is a larger beehive. This one will be used for a plaque. It is about 8" wide and 9" tall and is just as cute as the little ones are.

I began working on them on Sunday, and this is how far I got:

Food Cuisine Font Hat Baked goods


So far I am pleased with the result - but the BEST part is yet to come. :)

I had to go to Halifax for some things yesterday, so my Monday was rather 'lost' work wise. We didn't return until the evening, and I was so tired I went to bed around 9pm. But that left me feeling rested and ready to tackle today.

I am going to be working on them all day today and I should be able to update you all tomorrow. I have already had inquiries for them, but I prefer to wait until I get my patterns done until I post them on the site. Again - that will cause the least amount of confusion.

With that said, I will keep my promise in keeping this blog short. (You didn't think I could do it, did you??)

I wish you all a wonderful and creative day today. Happy Tuesday to you! :D
Waiting to see what type of bee . . . Mason, honey, . . . ? Looks interesting. ;)
 

Attachments

#12,750 ·
#1759 Bee Patient

Once again today I will keep my post rather brief. These days it seems that there is much to do and the clock is moving faster than ever. Having a larger place is wonderful, as we are able to spread our wings and do so much more, but it also requires a bit more maintenance. (Believe me though, I am not complaining!)

I think that part of it is getting used to our new home here. I am finally able to sleep a little better. For one reason or another, it seemed that even though I was really tired, my nights were a bit fitful. Either I was thinking of things to design, which is normal for me, or I was thinking of things to do around the house or how to organize or set up my studio. There are so many, many things to consider for me these days!

But little by little I am feeling more comfortable and more 'at home' here in our new house. While I still have many, many home projects here that I want to tackle, such as making more curtains, refinishing some cabinets, etc., I just need to put them on hold for a while and tell myself to "be patient". Everything will happen when it is supposed to happen and pushing things will only bring more anxiety. I need to take my own advice and "Let it Be."

Speaking of "Bees" . . .

I finally got some time to work on my new bee project yesterday. While I didn't complete everything, I did complete one of the six small ornaments and I have a picture here to show you. I was really pleased with how it came out and I hope you like it as well.

I was going to create two separate patterns - one for the plaque and one for the smaller ornaments. But while I was painting them, I was thinking it would be ridiculous to charge for two separate patterns when they are all basically the same colors and style. So I decided that they are all going to be included in one packet.

Here is the ornament that I finished up:

Handwriting Font Jewellery Creative arts Fashion accessory


It is just as I envisioned it, down to the little bee charm and the ants. :)

This can be used as an ornament, magnet or even a plant poke for your indoor garden. They are bright and cheerful and painted with DecoArt colors and once I got going, they painted up fairly quickly. There will be six small ornaments with different sayings in the set as well as the larger plaque which has a bee-u-tiful saying itself. They are great for all year, I think and can be adapted to just about any surface.

I am going to offer a nice combo pack which will include the pattern and everything that will be needed to make the entire set. (I KNOW you will want to make them ALL!) I should have them up on the site this weekend.

It feels really good to be back in working mode again. Even though I have been working every day, It feels even better to be able to create something that is positive and others like so much as well. So far, the response from my Facebook followers has been wonderfully encouraging. I am happy that they like what I am doing.

Today, I will hopefully finish up the set and have more photos to show you all tomorrow of everything. So that will be all for now, and until then, I am asking you to "Bee Patient". ;)

Food Handwriting Natural foods Jewellery Font


(Sorry - I couldn't help that one!)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#12,751 ·
#1759 Bee Patient

Once again today I will keep my post rather brief. These days it seems that there is much to do and the clock is moving faster than ever. Having a larger place is wonderful, as we are able to spread our wings and do so much more, but it also requires a bit more maintenance. (Believe me though, I am not complaining!)

I think that part of it is getting used to our new home here. I am finally able to sleep a little better. For one reason or another, it seemed that even though I was really tired, my nights were a bit fitful. Either I was thinking of things to design, which is normal for me, or I was thinking of things to do around the house or how to organize or set up my studio. There are so many, many things to consider for me these days!

But little by little I am feeling more comfortable and more 'at home' here in our new house. While I still have many, many home projects here that I want to tackle, such as making more curtains, refinishing some cabinets, etc., I just need to put them on hold for a while and tell myself to "be patient". Everything will happen when it is supposed to happen and pushing things will only bring more anxiety. I need to take my own advice and "Let it Be."

Speaking of "Bees" . . .

I finally got some time to work on my new bee project yesterday. While I didn't complete everything, I did complete one of the six small ornaments and I have a picture here to show you. I was really pleased with how it came out and I hope you like it as well.

I was going to create two separate patterns - one for the plaque and one for the smaller ornaments. But while I was painting them, I was thinking it would be ridiculous to charge for two separate patterns when they are all basically the same colors and style. So I decided that they are all going to be included in one packet.

Here is the ornament that I finished up:

Handwriting Font Jewellery Creative arts Fashion accessory


It is just as I envisioned it, down to the little bee charm and the ants. :)

This can be used as an ornament, magnet or even a plant poke for your indoor garden. They are bright and cheerful and painted with DecoArt colors and once I got going, they painted up fairly quickly. There will be six small ornaments with different sayings in the set as well as the larger plaque which has a bee-u-tiful saying itself. They are great for all year, I think and can be adapted to just about any surface.

I am going to offer a nice combo pack which will include the pattern and everything that will be needed to make the entire set. (I KNOW you will want to make them ALL!) I should have them up on the site this weekend.

It feels really good to be back in working mode again. Even though I have been working every day, It feels even better to be able to create something that is positive and others like so much as well. So far, the response from my Facebook followers has been wonderfully encouraging. I am happy that they like what I am doing.

Today, I will hopefully finish up the set and have more photos to show you all tomorrow of everything. So that will be all for now, and until then, I am asking you to "Bee Patient". ;)

Food Handwriting Natural foods Jewellery Font


(Sorry - I couldn't help that one!)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Beautiful! Love it!
 

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#12,753 ·
Almost There . . .

I love creating new patterns. I always have at least a dozen ideas in my head for new things to make. Over the years I have learned to write things down when I have a new idea that I want to implement. That way when I am a bit 'dry' or looking for something new to make and can't really think of the perfect project, I can look back on my list and it will at least point me in a direction and get things rolling.

Sometimes the ideas don't look so great later on. I look back on them and say to myself, "What was I thinking?" and it goes by the wayside. But many times what is on my list gives me at least a springboard to move ahead.

After taking several weeks off to move, I noticed my list of new project that I want to do is longer than ever. Even though I was focused on other things, it didn't stop the ideas from flowing and in some ways, I found that I thought of new things at an even quicker pace. Maybe it was because I was going through and organizing all of my supplies and seeing all the cool things I have for designing. That is always inspirational. It was like going to my own private craft show. It really got me excited about the new things I am going to make.

While I am certainly not finished organizing (that will be an ongoing project) I knew it was time to get back to drawing and creating. Otherwise the seasons will just keep passing me by and I will have an even longer list for 'next year'. By then, who knows how many new designs I will have that I want to create?

So I had to begin somewhere. But where to you start when looking at such a variety of options. I find that sometimes having 'too many' things to do can actually be a hindrance, as it can be overwhelming and stifle me altogether. I had to just jump in and draw.

Lately, I have had wonderful success with my bevel cut two piece ornaments and plaques. I found that this type of ornament is not only attractive, but something that is rather unique. Most ornaments that are available for painters are laser cut now and the bevel cut center of each piece gives an attractive self-framing effect. I like cutting them, too, which is really important, I think. After cutting many for Lynne Andrews' 12 Days of Christmas pattern that I have been making, I created some other simple shapes using the same process. I find though that unless I offer a design to make on them, they seem to be sluggish in sales. While I have a few designers that I am working with on these types of ornaments, I felt that I wanted to do some things myself with them. After all - that is why I drew them up in the first place.

One of my favorites are these little beehive ornaments that I created. (SLDPK132 Beehive Bevel-Cut Ornaments (3 ornaments)):

Font Gesture Circle Sharing Event


Like my other ornaments of this type, they are two-piece and the center is cut on a slight bevel so when they are replaced back into the outside frame of the ornament, they sit slightly back:

Font Circle Symbol Wood Logo


The result is a nice, framing effect, as the center is simply glued into place.

I like to think that this type of painting surface has become something that people are associating with me. I haven't seen it done by other large manufacturers and it seems to be quickly becoming my 'trade mark'. It is nice to have something like this to offer.

For the past several days, I have been working on using these little beehive ornaments, and I also made a larger plaque surface as well (which will be posted on the site soon.) I have been showing you small 'teasers' of what I was doing with them, and the response has been very positive.

Initially, I was going to make two separate patterns - one for the larger plaque and the other for the six ornament sayings - but while I was creating them, I decided that since they are all so similar, I will offer everything in one pattern packet. That way everyone can have both projects in one place.

I nearly finished painting them all yesterday, but I am still not quite done:

Food Handwriting Ingredient Recipe Cuisine


I still have the grassy areas and flowers to do on all the hives, as well as the small bee charms added to the bottom of each ornament. I think they will make a lovely set.

I plan on offering what I will call a "Super Combo Kit" for all the pieces that I used to create the set. It will consist of the large plaque, six ornaments, all the charms (the six small bee charms as well as the large bee charm for the plaque) and finally, the stencils that I used to create the background. I decided to make the stencils optional, and the line work for the background design will be included in the pattern for those who don't want to invest in stencils. This is my first time making my own stencils and I was happy with how they came out. But I still don't want to force others to have to use them if they don't want.

So that is where I am today. I need to finish up the flowers for all the hives and then get to creating the pattern packet. I hope to have everything up on the site by the weekend.

I am really pleased and excited about this project. It has opened me up to many new ideas and ways to create. I just can't wait until you see what I have in store for you all next! But that is for another blog . . .

Thank you all who have given me such wonderful and positive feedback on this project. It really does help to encourage me to do more for you all. I am happy that you all like what I do.

Hopefully, I will have "Finished" pictures ready for you all tomorrow. Until then . . . Have a great Thursday!
 

Attachments

#12,754 ·
Almost There . . .

I love creating new patterns. I always have at least a dozen ideas in my head for new things to make. Over the years I have learned to write things down when I have a new idea that I want to implement. That way when I am a bit 'dry' or looking for something new to make and can't really think of the perfect project, I can look back on my list and it will at least point me in a direction and get things rolling.

Sometimes the ideas don't look so great later on. I look back on them and say to myself, "What was I thinking?" and it goes by the wayside. But many times what is on my list gives me at least a springboard to move ahead.

After taking several weeks off to move, I noticed my list of new project that I want to do is longer than ever. Even though I was focused on other things, it didn't stop the ideas from flowing and in some ways, I found that I thought of new things at an even quicker pace. Maybe it was because I was going through and organizing all of my supplies and seeing all the cool things I have for designing. That is always inspirational. It was like going to my own private craft show. It really got me excited about the new things I am going to make.

While I am certainly not finished organizing (that will be an ongoing project) I knew it was time to get back to drawing and creating. Otherwise the seasons will just keep passing me by and I will have an even longer list for 'next year'. By then, who knows how many new designs I will have that I want to create?

So I had to begin somewhere. But where to you start when looking at such a variety of options. I find that sometimes having 'too many' things to do can actually be a hindrance, as it can be overwhelming and stifle me altogether. I had to just jump in and draw.

Lately, I have had wonderful success with my bevel cut two piece ornaments and plaques. I found that this type of ornament is not only attractive, but something that is rather unique. Most ornaments that are available for painters are laser cut now and the bevel cut center of each piece gives an attractive self-framing effect. I like cutting them, too, which is really important, I think. After cutting many for Lynne Andrews' 12 Days of Christmas pattern that I have been making, I created some other simple shapes using the same process. I find though that unless I offer a design to make on them, they seem to be sluggish in sales. While I have a few designers that I am working with on these types of ornaments, I felt that I wanted to do some things myself with them. After all - that is why I drew them up in the first place.

One of my favorites are these little beehive ornaments that I created. (SLDPK132 Beehive Bevel-Cut Ornaments (3 ornaments)):

Font Gesture Circle Sharing Event


Like my other ornaments of this type, they are two-piece and the center is cut on a slight bevel so when they are replaced back into the outside frame of the ornament, they sit slightly back:

Font Circle Symbol Wood Logo


The result is a nice, framing effect, as the center is simply glued into place.

I like to think that this type of painting surface has become something that people are associating with me. I haven't seen it done by other large manufacturers and it seems to be quickly becoming my 'trade mark'. It is nice to have something like this to offer.

For the past several days, I have been working on using these little beehive ornaments, and I also made a larger plaque surface as well (which will be posted on the site soon.) I have been showing you small 'teasers' of what I was doing with them, and the response has been very positive.

Initially, I was going to make two separate patterns - one for the larger plaque and the other for the six ornament sayings - but while I was creating them, I decided that since they are all so similar, I will offer everything in one pattern packet. That way everyone can have both projects in one place.

I nearly finished painting them all yesterday, but I am still not quite done:

Food Handwriting Ingredient Recipe Cuisine


I still have the grassy areas and flowers to do on all the hives, as well as the small bee charms added to the bottom of each ornament. I think they will make a lovely set.

I plan on offering what I will call a "Super Combo Kit" for all the pieces that I used to create the set. It will consist of the large plaque, six ornaments, all the charms (the six small bee charms as well as the large bee charm for the plaque) and finally, the stencils that I used to create the background. I decided to make the stencils optional, and the line work for the background design will be included in the pattern for those who don't want to invest in stencils. This is my first time making my own stencils and I was happy with how they came out. But I still don't want to force others to have to use them if they don't want.

So that is where I am today. I need to finish up the flowers for all the hives and then get to creating the pattern packet. I hope to have everything up on the site by the weekend.

I am really pleased and excited about this project. It has opened me up to many new ideas and ways to create. I just can't wait until you see what I have in store for you all next! But that is for another blog . . .

Thank you all who have given me such wonderful and positive feedback on this project. It really does help to encourage me to do more for you all. I am happy that you all like what I do.

Hopefully, I will have "Finished" pictures ready for you all tomorrow. Until then . . . Have a great Thursday!
I really expect these to Bee very popular. They are Bee-utiful. Nice bit of creativity Sheila.
 

Attachments

#12,756 ·
Spread a Little Kindness

I awoke this morning to a thick cloak of fog. The cars were wet as well, so hopefully that meant we got some rain last night (although I heard nothing outside my window.) Like so many other places, Nova Scotia is in need of some decent rain. Everything is quite dry and thirsty, and I understand there are several fires that we have as a result. The roads are all dusty as well, and even though I have recently tried to wash my car a couple of times in the past couple of weeks, by the time I arrive home it has another layer of dry dust on it.

Not every day can be filled with sunshine. As much as we would like it to be that way, sometimes you need to let the rain fall to replenish and cleanse. I believe that this is true not only literally, but metaphorically as well. For I believe that nothing makes us appreciate the good things we have before us like remembering the times or events that were not so good. These stormy moments in our lives do well in reminding us just how fortunate we may be. Without them, we sometimes find ourselves taking the good things for granted.

I, myself can't complain. As far as summer goes, our summer here in Nova Scotia this year has been splendid. It seems as if every day I wake up to a cool morning, followed by a warm (not hot) afternoon that fades into once again a cool evening. The humidity has been low as well, and it has been a comfortable existence. When I read how many of my friends are experiencing sweltering temperatures, I realize just how fortunate we are. But I am sure that the farmers would like a bit more rain. Just a few days ago when we made our trip to Halifax (a three hour drive from my home) we noticed that some of the leaves were already beginning to turn a bit golden. That is pretty much unheard of for early August - even up north here where we live - and it emphasized just how dry it has been.

I have also heard of many who have had to order water for their wells. That was something else I had never heard of before moving here from Chicago. Water was always plentiful there. While there were sometimes restrictions on watering our gardens or lawns when I lived in the Chicago area, I never actually heard of people 'running out'. I can't imagine.

So I was happy to see the fog today. Happy to see the damp ground as well. Even if it was just a bit of rain, I am sure that any is appreciated. Our weather forecast shows that rain is expected all weekend. While I feel bad for those attending the local music festival that will be going on, I am sure they are prepared for a bit of rain and I am sure that it won't dampen their spirits. It will help so many others in the area.

As for myself, I plan on doing some cutting this weekend. I have been trying to build some stock up in my little shop and I also have some orders to fill. Keith and I are also planning to update the website again soon, and I want to get some of my own new designs posted. If I have any 'spare' time, I want to try to finish up my "Day 7" Ornaments from my 12 Days of Christmas sets. It appears my weekend will be full.

I finished painting my new project yesterday. This is the SLDP251 Kind Words Bee Plaque and Ornaments pattern that I have been showing you. I have been pretty happy with how everything turned out, and I hope it will be a popular item.

Initially, I had intended to make two patterns from these designs - one for the plaque and the other for the ornaments. But in making them, I saw that it made little sense to divide them up, as they go so well together and since the colors are the same as well as the instructions, there was no reason not to put them all together in one packet.

I am also offering "kits" for these items. While all the pieces will be available separately, I am offering a 'super combo kit' that will include the wood surfaces, the pattern, all the metal charms, and even the optional stencils to create the entire set. This is the first time I am offering stencils, which I will be cutting myself on my Silhouette machine, and I hope that is something that people will enjoy. I used the stencils for the subtle background in the center of each hive and I think it looks really cool. I am however, providing the line work so that anyone who doesn't want to buy the stencils can still complete the design without it. I find that for myself, I get disappointed when I like and purchase a pattern and find out that I need several stamps or stencils to complete it. It gets to be very expensive and many times the stencils or stamps are so focused that they only are usable for particular things. My stencils that I used with the hives are a more generalized stencil and I think that they can be used with many projects. I suppose I will see how they work out.

Here is a picture of the finished plaque:

Food Handwriting Natural foods Font Fruit


I just love the saying on it. With the way things are in the world today, we need a bit of kindness, I think.

The plaque is made of two pieces, and the center oval is cut on a bevel so it is slightly recessed when glued together. This seems to become my 'trademark' for many of my surfaces. I love this self-framing effect, as I feel it adds interest to the design. I also found these amazing and beautiful gold bee metal charms that I used to accent the plaque.

Gold Wing Religious item Jewellery Symbol


I think they make a lovely touch and go with the hive perfectly.

The ornaments/magnets also came out nice:

Handwriting Food Font Cuisine Ingredient


I love the positive messages they bring and the bright colors look awesome.

I embellished each ornament with a small hanging bee charm as well:

Handwriting Food Ingredient Sweetness Natural foods


I think it adds to the finished look and really makes them special.

Together they make a lovely ensamble:

Food Ingredient Cuisine Font Happy


My friend made the suggestion of placing all of these in a large wreath. Wouldn't that make a lovely welcome? I think so!

Today my task is going through the many step-by-step photos and constructing the pattern packet for this project. Hopefully I can get it up on the site by tomorrow. I will certainly try. If you want an update, you can join my mailing list to receive our newsletter, as I will surely be posting a new update soon that will have links to the pattern as well as the surfaces and embellishments.

This was such a fun project to make, and easy as well. It went quite quickly and used just basic painting techniques and regular Decoart Americana paints. I am really pleased with it.

I also wanted to thank a friend of mine - Dolores - who is actually the mom of a friend whom I went to grammar school with. Dolores sent me this beautiful kitty mug that I received yesterday, for no reason in particular:

Drinkware Cat Cup Tableware Felidae


Isn't it beautiful?! She said she likes my kitty puzzles that I post nearly every day on Facebook, and sent it as a housewarming gift. I am taken back by her kindness, and I will think of her fondly every time I use my mug. I am very grateful that I have met so many lovely people through Facebook and my blog here. It really makes my life better. Thank you, Dolores. <3

Kindness is something that is an important key to being happy. It can be displayed in many forms and actions, from doing something nice for someone to a simple smile or encouraging word. We live in a world where those who are harsh often get center stage. I find that they are loud and boisterous and have a way of pushing themselves into our lives, causing anger, fear and anxiety. It can be somewhat depressing just to be witness to them, even if it is just something you see on TV or read about in the newspaper.

Those who are kind and do kind acts seem to be softer and quieter. They aren't looking for attention, and sometimes get lost in the cracks of life. But that doesn't mean they are not appreciated. And it doesn't mean they aren't making a difference. I believe that an act of kindness toward another not only helps them, but helps us as well. It is its own reward in so many ways.

I wish you all a lovely Friday and a wonderful weekend ahead. I hope you find a way to spread some kindness yourselves. It will make those around you feel good, and will be uplifting to you as well!
 

Attachments

#12,757 ·
Spread a Little Kindness

I awoke this morning to a thick cloak of fog. The cars were wet as well, so hopefully that meant we got some rain last night (although I heard nothing outside my window.) Like so many other places, Nova Scotia is in need of some decent rain. Everything is quite dry and thirsty, and I understand there are several fires that we have as a result. The roads are all dusty as well, and even though I have recently tried to wash my car a couple of times in the past couple of weeks, by the time I arrive home it has another layer of dry dust on it.

Not every day can be filled with sunshine. As much as we would like it to be that way, sometimes you need to let the rain fall to replenish and cleanse. I believe that this is true not only literally, but metaphorically as well. For I believe that nothing makes us appreciate the good things we have before us like remembering the times or events that were not so good. These stormy moments in our lives do well in reminding us just how fortunate we may be. Without them, we sometimes find ourselves taking the good things for granted.

I, myself can't complain. As far as summer goes, our summer here in Nova Scotia this year has been splendid. It seems as if every day I wake up to a cool morning, followed by a warm (not hot) afternoon that fades into once again a cool evening. The humidity has been low as well, and it has been a comfortable existence. When I read how many of my friends are experiencing sweltering temperatures, I realize just how fortunate we are. But I am sure that the farmers would like a bit more rain. Just a few days ago when we made our trip to Halifax (a three hour drive from my home) we noticed that some of the leaves were already beginning to turn a bit golden. That is pretty much unheard of for early August - even up north here where we live - and it emphasized just how dry it has been.

I have also heard of many who have had to order water for their wells. That was something else I had never heard of before moving here from Chicago. Water was always plentiful there. While there were sometimes restrictions on watering our gardens or lawns when I lived in the Chicago area, I never actually heard of people 'running out'. I can't imagine.

So I was happy to see the fog today. Happy to see the damp ground as well. Even if it was just a bit of rain, I am sure that any is appreciated. Our weather forecast shows that rain is expected all weekend. While I feel bad for those attending the local music festival that will be going on, I am sure they are prepared for a bit of rain and I am sure that it won't dampen their spirits. It will help so many others in the area.

As for myself, I plan on doing some cutting this weekend. I have been trying to build some stock up in my little shop and I also have some orders to fill. Keith and I are also planning to update the website again soon, and I want to get some of my own new designs posted. If I have any 'spare' time, I want to try to finish up my "Day 7" Ornaments from my 12 Days of Christmas sets. It appears my weekend will be full.

I finished painting my new project yesterday. This is the SLDP251 Kind Words Bee Plaque and Ornaments pattern that I have been showing you. I have been pretty happy with how everything turned out, and I hope it will be a popular item.

Initially, I had intended to make two patterns from these designs - one for the plaque and the other for the ornaments. But in making them, I saw that it made little sense to divide them up, as they go so well together and since the colors are the same as well as the instructions, there was no reason not to put them all together in one packet.

I am also offering "kits" for these items. While all the pieces will be available separately, I am offering a 'super combo kit' that will include the wood surfaces, the pattern, all the metal charms, and even the optional stencils to create the entire set. This is the first time I am offering stencils, which I will be cutting myself on my Silhouette machine, and I hope that is something that people will enjoy. I used the stencils for the subtle background in the center of each hive and I think it looks really cool. I am however, providing the line work so that anyone who doesn't want to buy the stencils can still complete the design without it. I find that for myself, I get disappointed when I like and purchase a pattern and find out that I need several stamps or stencils to complete it. It gets to be very expensive and many times the stencils or stamps are so focused that they only are usable for particular things. My stencils that I used with the hives are a more generalized stencil and I think that they can be used with many projects. I suppose I will see how they work out.

Here is a picture of the finished plaque:

Food Handwriting Natural foods Font Fruit


I just love the saying on it. With the way things are in the world today, we need a bit of kindness, I think.

The plaque is made of two pieces, and the center oval is cut on a bevel so it is slightly recessed when glued together. This seems to become my 'trademark' for many of my surfaces. I love this self-framing effect, as I feel it adds interest to the design. I also found these amazing and beautiful gold bee metal charms that I used to accent the plaque.

Gold Wing Religious item Jewellery Symbol


I think they make a lovely touch and go with the hive perfectly.

The ornaments/magnets also came out nice:

Handwriting Food Font Cuisine Ingredient


I love the positive messages they bring and the bright colors look awesome.

I embellished each ornament with a small hanging bee charm as well:

Handwriting Food Ingredient Sweetness Natural foods


I think it adds to the finished look and really makes them special.

Together they make a lovely ensamble:

Food Ingredient Cuisine Font Happy


My friend made the suggestion of placing all of these in a large wreath. Wouldn't that make a lovely welcome? I think so!

Today my task is going through the many step-by-step photos and constructing the pattern packet for this project. Hopefully I can get it up on the site by tomorrow. I will certainly try. If you want an update, you can join my mailing list to receive our newsletter, as I will surely be posting a new update soon that will have links to the pattern as well as the surfaces and embellishments.

This was such a fun project to make, and easy as well. It went quite quickly and used just basic painting techniques and regular Decoart Americana paints. I am really pleased with it.

I also wanted to thank a friend of mine - Dolores - who is actually the mom of a friend whom I went to grammar school with. Dolores sent me this beautiful kitty mug that I received yesterday, for no reason in particular:

Drinkware Cat Cup Tableware Felidae


Isn't it beautiful?! She said she likes my kitty puzzles that I post nearly every day on Facebook, and sent it as a housewarming gift. I am taken back by her kindness, and I will think of her fondly every time I use my mug. I am very grateful that I have met so many lovely people through Facebook and my blog here. It really makes my life better. Thank you, Dolores. <3

Kindness is something that is an important key to being happy. It can be displayed in many forms and actions, from doing something nice for someone to a simple smile or encouraging word. We live in a world where those who are harsh often get center stage. I find that they are loud and boisterous and have a way of pushing themselves into our lives, causing anger, fear and anxiety. It can be somewhat depressing just to be witness to them, even if it is just something you see on TV or read about in the newspaper.

Those who are kind and do kind acts seem to be softer and quieter. They aren't looking for attention, and sometimes get lost in the cracks of life. But that doesn't mean they are not appreciated. And it doesn't mean they aren't making a difference. I believe that an act of kindness toward another not only helps them, but helps us as well. It is its own reward in so many ways.

I wish you all a lovely Friday and a wonderful weekend ahead. I hope you find a way to spread some kindness yourselves. It will make those around you feel good, and will be uplifting to you as well!
Wow, just looked at this blog for the first time, I love your project and thoughts, I will share the pictures and thoughts in my class at church this weekend. The combined view is a whole sermon.
 

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#12,762 ·
Working Weekend

I can't believe how quickly the weekend passed! It was one of those times that it seemed that I blinked my eyes and it was gone. The weather was not that great, as it was muggy and overcast most of the time. We had a little rain at night, and I truly wish we had some more, as it has been very dry here in Nova Scotia this year and there have been some wildfires in our area. But we take what we are given and hope for the best.

Today is again overcast and muggy. It isn't hot though - almost 'autumn-like' in the coolness of the air. Could it be that summer is nearing its end already? It just arrived, it seems.

In any case, it was a good time to work. I was truly thrilled at the response from my new project that I showed on Friday. The SLDP251 Kind Words Bee Plaque & Ornaments painting pattern is up on the site!

Food Ingredient Cuisine Font Happy


As I mentioned last time, I decided to include everything in one packet. I thought they made a wonderful set together and it just seemed right.

I really love how colorful these little ornaments and plaques came out. It just goes to show that something doesn't have to be difficult to be attractive. For the background of the hives, I used a stencil that I created myself (my FIRST stencils!) BUT . . . I also included the line work for the background design so you can still paint it WITHOUT using the stencil. I thought this was important because I know that many don't want to have to buy stencils for everything.

I decided to make stencils though because I have so many customers who are not really 'painters' and are more involved in woodworking. I think stencils are a fun, fast, and easy way to add some interest to designs. I am going to try to keep my own line of stencils focused on those that can be used on lots of different projects and not so specialized. Most don't want something that you can only use once and have no other purpose. I will keep that in mind in all my future designing.

I decided to make a "Super Combo Pack" for this project as well. This great combo pack includes not only the full color pattern and surfaces, but also the adorable 'bee' charms that I used to enhance each hive.

Font Wood Art Circle Fashion accessory


I have even included both the small and large Honeycomb and Bee Stencils (ST-01 and ST-02) to give you a chance to try them. Of course, you can get everything individually if you like. I tried to make it easy that way.

Keith spent the weekend re-organizing the entire site. What a lot of work for him to do! We now have divided the painting section from the scroll saw section a little more so that you can find what you are looking for more easily. We realize that we are offering products to two different venues and while it sometimes overlaps, it can be somewhat confusing.

Now there are two new tabs on the top of the page. The Scroll Saw Patterns Home tab brings you to the main home scrolling page. On the left you will see the regular menu to find all the scroll saw patterns that you need.

We also created a Painting Patterns Home page that will bring you to the painting side of our site. You can also now reach this sections by typing the address www.tolepaintingdesigns.com. I have had that domain name for some time now and I think it may be easier for you to remember. Of course, the www.sheilalandrydesigns.com address will still get you to the main page. But then you will have to click on the top tab to get to the painting menu.

We also have added new categories on the painting side. I hope you check out my new Embellishments page. I found a new supplier and I am pleased to offer you some really lovely and high-quality charms and embellishments at reasonable prices. I can think of so many ways to add these adorable pieces to your projects. They really do all that final touch of professionalism that will set them apart and bring them to a new level. I will be using several of them in my new designs.

I also had Keith create a Stencils page that will have the new stencils that I am designing. Again - I promise to include all the line work in any pattern that I use stencils. I don't want you to be forced to use them on my designs if you don't like them. But there are many that enjoy them and they really do make things go quickly. These are great not only for the painters, but also the woodworkers who are just beginning to paint or for those of you who do craft shows and fairs. I hope you give them a try.

Keith also has an incredible new pattern that he posted for the scrollers. His SLDK410 - Matthew 5:3-10 "Beautitides" Sectional Bible Passage set is another masterpiece! I know that many of our scrolling followers will love making this for themselves or as a gift.

Brown Font Paper Paper product Handwriting


Finally for today, I wanted to mention that we created a wonderful Special Bundle Offer for our scrollers. For a limited time, we are offering a set of 10 of our best ornament patterns in a set for 40% off. I don't think we ever discounted things this much before. We want to get you all excited about the holidays and thought this would be a nice way to do it.

Organism Font Art Pattern Rectangle


The set includes 95 ornaments in all that are some of our best sellers. We hope you take advantage of this sale and start planning for your holiday scroll saw season.

I think you can all see why we were so busy. Revamping the site itself is a huge task for us. We truly hope that it makes things easier for you all to navigate and find what you are looking for when visiting. Any feedback is appreciated. :)

Today I will be working on orders and thinking about my next project(s). I have a "quick paint" project due for the September issue of Tole Town and I want to get working on that. I am excited about all the new ideas I have and I can't wait to get them all to you!

As we move into mid-August I see that some are heading back to school already. How can that happen so quickly?! I hope you are all enjoying each day and making some wonderful summer memories. I know I am happy to feel so settled in our home here. It makes working even more fun.

I hope you stop by and see the new format of the site. Let me know what you think of it, too. We hope you find it improved and easier to navigate. We are trying our best to keep everything organized, even though we offer such diverse projects.

I wish you all a wonderful day and a great week ahead! Happy Monday to you all!
 

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#12,763 ·
Things are What We Make Them

It is hard to believe that after such a BUSY day I would have trouble finding something to write about. But that seems to be the case here for me this morning.

Yesterday was my birthday. And while I thought that I would kind of treat it like 'just another day', I kind of got caught up in the celebration and somewhere in the afternoon, I decided to just go with the flow and embrace the day and enjoy it.

We went out for a late lunch/early dinner (Keith, his mom and me) and I got my lunch for free - "because it was my birthday". That was fun!

We came back home here for a while and just kind of 'hung out' - visiting with mom while I went through the many, many well-wishes sent to me by my Facebook friends and others.

It may not seem exciting to many, but it was nice and it made me feel good that I have been able to know so many wonderful and creative people through my travels here in the social media forums. It meant a lot to me.

We kind of skipped dinner. The late lunch was good enough for me and mom and we decided at around 8pm to go out for some ice cream. Mom usually makes us a pie or a cake, but with it being just the three of us, I thought it would be too much trouble. We plan on going to our friend's cottage on the lake this upcoming weekend to have a celebration with my dear friends Ellen and Bernie. Ellen's birthday is then and we have made it a tradition to share out birthday celebrations with each other. I look forward to that each year. I am sure there will be cake there as well.

So ice cream it was. I had my favorite (chocolate dipped waffle cone (with NUTS of course) and chocolate dipped soft serve ice cream). MMmmm! It was the perfect birthday "dinner" for me.

I came home and read all of my messages and smiled with each one. It is great to have friends - near and far and old and new. I am glad we live in a time of being able to communicate the way we do. My friendships with my online friends are every bit as good as those who I see in person. I am able to 'visit' with those who live on the other side of the globe daily. We laugh together, cry together and create together. Our world can really be amazing when we think about it.

As with anything, things are what we make them.

People sometimes slam social media places like Facebook and forums and other places. They don't like what they see. But all it takes is learning a little about the features that each place has and a few clicks of a mouse later, we can filter what we see and avoid what we don't like.

My news feed is filled with creative people from all over the world. I see what they are doing and the positive things in their lives. I visit with friends from grammar school that I haven't seen in 40 years. I watch their children and grand children grow up and do silly antics and I see their dogs and cats. (Especially LOTS and LOTS of CATS!) These things make me happy and they make me smile and they make my day better. It is what I choose to focus on.

I don't have total blinders on as far as where we are with the world. I see the tragedies and the troubles. I just don't focus on them. If I can do something to make a difference, I do it. When a friend is ill or feeling down, I try to be a positive spot in their day. I try to inspire people who may have lost their focus for a bit. Most of all, I try to make people smile or laugh. It is the best I can do. It works for keeping me happy and creative and at peace in this crazy world.

We all do what we need to do in order to get through the day. I don't know if we realize how much power we have in making ourselves happy and at peace with things. I think we have much more than we realize.

I received a card from Keith's mom yesterday. She always gives me a wonderful kitty card. But I absolutely loved what it said.

Cat Comfort Felidae Carnivore Grey


Today IS special. Every day is special. I know it will be special because that is the way I want it to be.

I hope you make your day special as well.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,764 ·
Things are What We Make Them

It is hard to believe that after such a BUSY day I would have trouble finding something to write about. But that seems to be the case here for me this morning.

Yesterday was my birthday. And while I thought that I would kind of treat it like 'just another day', I kind of got caught up in the celebration and somewhere in the afternoon, I decided to just go with the flow and embrace the day and enjoy it.

We went out for a late lunch/early dinner (Keith, his mom and me) and I got my lunch for free - "because it was my birthday". That was fun!

We came back home here for a while and just kind of 'hung out' - visiting with mom while I went through the many, many well-wishes sent to me by my Facebook friends and others.

It may not seem exciting to many, but it was nice and it made me feel good that I have been able to know so many wonderful and creative people through my travels here in the social media forums. It meant a lot to me.

We kind of skipped dinner. The late lunch was good enough for me and mom and we decided at around 8pm to go out for some ice cream. Mom usually makes us a pie or a cake, but with it being just the three of us, I thought it would be too much trouble. We plan on going to our friend's cottage on the lake this upcoming weekend to have a celebration with my dear friends Ellen and Bernie. Ellen's birthday is then and we have made it a tradition to share out birthday celebrations with each other. I look forward to that each year. I am sure there will be cake there as well.

So ice cream it was. I had my favorite (chocolate dipped waffle cone (with NUTS of course) and chocolate dipped soft serve ice cream). MMmmm! It was the perfect birthday "dinner" for me.

I came home and read all of my messages and smiled with each one. It is great to have friends - near and far and old and new. I am glad we live in a time of being able to communicate the way we do. My friendships with my online friends are every bit as good as those who I see in person. I am able to 'visit' with those who live on the other side of the globe daily. We laugh together, cry together and create together. Our world can really be amazing when we think about it.

As with anything, things are what we make them.

People sometimes slam social media places like Facebook and forums and other places. They don't like what they see. But all it takes is learning a little about the features that each place has and a few clicks of a mouse later, we can filter what we see and avoid what we don't like.

My news feed is filled with creative people from all over the world. I see what they are doing and the positive things in their lives. I visit with friends from grammar school that I haven't seen in 40 years. I watch their children and grand children grow up and do silly antics and I see their dogs and cats. (Especially LOTS and LOTS of CATS!) These things make me happy and they make me smile and they make my day better. It is what I choose to focus on.

I don't have total blinders on as far as where we are with the world. I see the tragedies and the troubles. I just don't focus on them. If I can do something to make a difference, I do it. When a friend is ill or feeling down, I try to be a positive spot in their day. I try to inspire people who may have lost their focus for a bit. Most of all, I try to make people smile or laugh. It is the best I can do. It works for keeping me happy and creative and at peace in this crazy world.

We all do what we need to do in order to get through the day. I don't know if we realize how much power we have in making ourselves happy and at peace with things. I think we have much more than we realize.

I received a card from Keith's mom yesterday. She always gives me a wonderful kitty card. But I absolutely loved what it said.

Cat Comfort Felidae Carnivore Grey


Today IS special. Every day is special. I know it will be special because that is the way I want it to be.

I hope you make your day special as well.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
A very Happy Belated Birthday to you, a simply put Magnificent Artisan! Russell
 

Attachments

#12,769 ·
#1764 A Rose by a Different Name is Still a Rose

These past couple of days have really been busy. (That is a good thing, right?) I am very pleased at how well-received our new items have been, and as I have been filling orders, Keith has been working to reorganize the site and make it a little easier to navigate.

As our little business keeps growing, we are finding that it is dividing itself into two distinct avenues that attract different types of customers - Scroll sawing and Decorative Painting. While there is the occasional time when someone is like me and is interested in both, more so than not people come to the site to see one or the other. With the growing number of designs we are offering, it is getting increasingly difficult to make things clear and streamlined for those coming to buy from us. As much as we would like to do so, we are unable to sell the finished, cut pieces of our scroll work designs. As any woodworker can tell you, the time involved in that is tremendous. But since I am selling simple cutouts for decorative painting, it sometimes is confusing to those who come visit.

(I want to mention here, that if someone is interested in having pre-cut items from our woodworking patterns, they can email me and I will refer them to someone who will do them. I know many qualified people that would love to help out.)

But for the most part, we sell patterns of woodworking and painting and also simple painting surfaces. That keeps us pretty busy.

I was fortunate enough to obtain the domain name of "tolepaintingdesigns.com" a few years back, but I have not really utilized it until now. But since I have a growing number of painters who have joined our Mailing List and follow me, I thought it was a good time to implement it.

So now, if you go to www.sheilalandrydesigns.com, you will land on our main Scroll Saw Patterns Home page. If you are interested in painting projects and go there, no worries, you can go up to the top bar under the main header, and click the "Painting Patterns Home" link to get you to the home painting page. It is very easy.

Font Line Logo Advertising Brand


Once you are at the Painting Patterns Home page, your category list on the left side bar is different:

Organism Recipe Font Screenshot Terrestrial plant


From this page, you can get to ALL the important painting related pages without a fuss or filtering through the woodworking patterns.

Both Keith and I hope that this makes it easy for you.

So in reality, nothing has really changed except you can now get to our site with TWO addresses and we (HOPEFULLY!) have streamlined your experience there. I suppose that is pretty big!

I hope you try things out and please let us know what you think of it. We really do try to make things easy for you all, even though we offer a vast array of designs and now surfaces and embellishments for you to enjoy.

Remember:

www.sheilalandrydesigns.com - for WOODWORKING.

www.tolepaintingdesigns.com - for PAINTING and SURFACES

We think you will like that better. :)

I was going to highlight the new things that are available on our site, but I hope you go over there and see for yourself. I have the Super Combo Kit (SLDPS251) for the Beehive project now for those who have been asking:

Food Ingredient Cuisine Font Happy


And we also have a new Scroll Saw Pattern set of our most popular ornaments available as a Special Bundle Offer:

Organism Font Art Pattern Rectangle


Keith has some other new projects as well, like his SLDK242 Self-Framing Leaf-Boardered Tree Frog:

Wood Reptile Rectangle Frog Creative arts


as well as his SLDK410 - "Beautitides" Sectional Bible Passage plaque pattern:

Brown Font Paper Paper product Handwriting


We hope to have something for everyone.

I will be busy cutting and packaging orders all day today, then tomorrow I hope to start with my new projects. I have something in mind for both the scroll saw and painting venues. I can't wait to get at them.

After a very rainy day yesterday, it is bright, sunny and cool this morning. We really needed the rain and you can see the grass is greener already. It was a gift for us. My heart goes out to those who have had too much rain and heat this summer. I wish them all the best.

I wish you all a good day as well. The weekend is just around the corner!

Thank you all again for your wonderful support! We hope that these little changes make things much easier and more fun for you to visit.

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,770 ·
#1764 A Rose by a Different Name is Still a Rose

These past couple of days have really been busy. (That is a good thing, right?) I am very pleased at how well-received our new items have been, and as I have been filling orders, Keith has been working to reorganize the site and make it a little easier to navigate.

As our little business keeps growing, we are finding that it is dividing itself into two distinct avenues that attract different types of customers - Scroll sawing and Decorative Painting. While there is the occasional time when someone is like me and is interested in both, more so than not people come to the site to see one or the other. With the growing number of designs we are offering, it is getting increasingly difficult to make things clear and streamlined for those coming to buy from us. As much as we would like to do so, we are unable to sell the finished, cut pieces of our scroll work designs. As any woodworker can tell you, the time involved in that is tremendous. But since I am selling simple cutouts for decorative painting, it sometimes is confusing to those who come visit.

(I want to mention here, that if someone is interested in having pre-cut items from our woodworking patterns, they can email me and I will refer them to someone who will do them. I know many qualified people that would love to help out.)

But for the most part, we sell patterns of woodworking and painting and also simple painting surfaces. That keeps us pretty busy.

I was fortunate enough to obtain the domain name of "tolepaintingdesigns.com" a few years back, but I have not really utilized it until now. But since I have a growing number of painters who have joined our Mailing List and follow me, I thought it was a good time to implement it.

So now, if you go to www.sheilalandrydesigns.com, you will land on our main Scroll Saw Patterns Home page. If you are interested in painting projects and go there, no worries, you can go up to the top bar under the main header, and click the "Painting Patterns Home" link to get you to the home painting page. It is very easy.

Font Line Logo Advertising Brand


Once you are at the Painting Patterns Home page, your category list on the left side bar is different:

Organism Recipe Font Screenshot Terrestrial plant


From this page, you can get to ALL the important painting related pages without a fuss or filtering through the woodworking patterns.

Both Keith and I hope that this makes it easy for you.

So in reality, nothing has really changed except you can now get to our site with TWO addresses and we (HOPEFULLY!) have streamlined your experience there. I suppose that is pretty big!

I hope you try things out and please let us know what you think of it. We really do try to make things easy for you all, even though we offer a vast array of designs and now surfaces and embellishments for you to enjoy.

Remember:

www.sheilalandrydesigns.com - for WOODWORKING.

www.tolepaintingdesigns.com - for PAINTING and SURFACES

We think you will like that better. :)

I was going to highlight the new things that are available on our site, but I hope you go over there and see for yourself. I have the Super Combo Kit (SLDPS251) for the Beehive project now for those who have been asking:

Food Ingredient Cuisine Font Happy


And we also have a new Scroll Saw Pattern set of our most popular ornaments available as a Special Bundle Offer:

Organism Font Art Pattern Rectangle


Keith has some other new projects as well, like his SLDK242 Self-Framing Leaf-Boardered Tree Frog:

Wood Reptile Rectangle Frog Creative arts


as well as his SLDK410 - "Beautitides" Sectional Bible Passage plaque pattern:

Brown Font Paper Paper product Handwriting


We hope to have something for everyone.

I will be busy cutting and packaging orders all day today, then tomorrow I hope to start with my new projects. I have something in mind for both the scroll saw and painting venues. I can't wait to get at them.

After a very rainy day yesterday, it is bright, sunny and cool this morning. We really needed the rain and you can see the grass is greener already. It was a gift for us. My heart goes out to those who have had too much rain and heat this summer. I wish them all the best.

I wish you all a good day as well. The weekend is just around the corner!

Thank you all again for your wonderful support! We hope that these little changes make things much easier and more fun for you to visit.

Happy Thursday to you all!
Good morning Sheila! You have done a great job on reorganizing your website. I like the painting site being a separate page. It is so much easier to find the painting patterns and products. Looking through it reminded of the painting patterns I have e.g. "Layla" that I haven't started yet! Not enough hours in the day!
 

Attachments

#12,772 ·
Busy Hands . . .

The busier that I get, the more I want to do. Why does it work that way?

I never understood the concept of "boredom." Even at a young age. With an entire world of things to do for work, leisure and fun, I don't know how anyone could feel that they were bored. I suppose it is the way we approach things and life in general.

I am always amazed at how quickly time seems to pass. If I had one thing that I could change in this world, it would be to slow things down a bit. . . or give more hours in a day . . . or never have to sleep. (Wouldn't that be cool?) Then maybe I would get half of what I want to accomplish finished.

Ahhh . . . dreaming. . . .

I took the day "off" on Saturday to head out to my friends' (Bernie and Ellen) cabin on the lake. It was our annual birthday celebration, as my birthday was last Monday and Ellen's was on Thursday. This has become a tradition for us to share our birthday dinner, as each of us doesn't like the attention on ourselves, but we never mind doing things for the other. It works out great.

I went there early (by myself) so I could spend a full day there and just do "nothing". What a concept that is for me! I even brought my swimsuit.

I enjoyed the early part of my visit with just Bernie and Ellen tremendously. They are the kind of people that take you into their hearts and home and you immediately feel comfortable and like family. In fact, I call them my "Canadian parents" because they have treated me like a daughter since my arrival in Canada 12 years ago. It is nice to have family close when you are so far away from your own children. It makes you feel part of things and loved. :)

The rest of the day was just as wonderful. Cindy (their daughter) and Keith and his mom came later on and we had a wonderful meal and visiting time. The weather was perfect and there was no phone or computer or outside distractions. Just us and the lake. We all need that once in a while.

On Sunday I decided to get ahead with things and I completed my orders and got my mail ready to go out today. That may seem like a small task, but with how busy things have been, it took me until about 5pm to get it completed. But I can't tell you how good it feels to see all these orders all wrapped up and ready to go out. I feel like I am ahead for the week.

For the evening, I was going to continue on my "12 Days" ornaments, but I decided to start another project. (I know - I am crazy!)

I have been working with a painter whom I have admired for many years on a project of hers, and she revealed it this week. The artist is Peggy Harris of Peggy Harris Collectibles and a few months ago I had seen this beautiful design that she was teaching in Japan. I asked her if she needed anyone to cut the wood surfaces for her and to make a long story short, she did and we formed a little collaboration on this project.

Now I had nothing to do with the design of this project - the tiara surface is designed by Masayo Kunioka from Japan and the artwork pattern by Peggy - but I was commissioned to cut the wood for her pieces and classes in the USA, and I am thrilled to do so.

So instead of doing my own things, I decided that I HAD to paint one for my grand daughter, Willow (who is having a birthday in a couple of weeks.) Just look how adorable it is!

Drinkware Font Pattern Fashion accessory Event


I did the base coating of the frame and back board:

Tableware Dishware Drinkware Cup Textile


I copied the line work . . .

Font Art Paper Writing Publication


And began painting the background . . .

Elephant Textile Gesture Font Sculpture


The way that Peggy does things is a bit different than I am used to, so I learned a lot already. :)

I then began working on the steps and railings . . .

Font Art Tree Heart Event


. . . and started the shading of the steps . . .

Wood Art Font Creative arts Serveware


I am happy that it is coming out really nice so far . . .

Wood Triangle Rectangle Font Tints and shades


I kind of pooped out at this point, as I didn't want to continue when I was tired. So there it is.

Right now, you can get the pattern and the surface for a special deal at Peggy's Facebook Page - Peggy Harris Collectibles. She has a website too (www.peggyharris.com) but she is revamping it so the tiara and pattern isn't up there. Go to the Facebook page to get the piece and pattern if you like it. I will be selling the tiaras in a bit on my site, but not the pattern. There will be other designs on that piece as well, and Peggy is doing more fairy tale projects on it, too. (I saw the next one - it is as FABULOUS as this one is!)

So that is it for today. I am a bit late in posting, but here I am anyway. It will be another busy week.

But then . . .

I always have memories of the lake . . .

Cloud Water Sky Water resources Boat


Happy Monday to you all! :D
 

Attachments

#12,773 ·
Busy Hands . . .

The busier that I get, the more I want to do. Why does it work that way?

I never understood the concept of "boredom." Even at a young age. With an entire world of things to do for work, leisure and fun, I don't know how anyone could feel that they were bored. I suppose it is the way we approach things and life in general.

I am always amazed at how quickly time seems to pass. If I had one thing that I could change in this world, it would be to slow things down a bit. . . or give more hours in a day . . . or never have to sleep. (Wouldn't that be cool?) Then maybe I would get half of what I want to accomplish finished.

Ahhh . . . dreaming. . . .

I took the day "off" on Saturday to head out to my friends' (Bernie and Ellen) cabin on the lake. It was our annual birthday celebration, as my birthday was last Monday and Ellen's was on Thursday. This has become a tradition for us to share our birthday dinner, as each of us doesn't like the attention on ourselves, but we never mind doing things for the other. It works out great.

I went there early (by myself) so I could spend a full day there and just do "nothing". What a concept that is for me! I even brought my swimsuit.

I enjoyed the early part of my visit with just Bernie and Ellen tremendously. They are the kind of people that take you into their hearts and home and you immediately feel comfortable and like family. In fact, I call them my "Canadian parents" because they have treated me like a daughter since my arrival in Canada 12 years ago. It is nice to have family close when you are so far away from your own children. It makes you feel part of things and loved. :)

The rest of the day was just as wonderful. Cindy (their daughter) and Keith and his mom came later on and we had a wonderful meal and visiting time. The weather was perfect and there was no phone or computer or outside distractions. Just us and the lake. We all need that once in a while.

On Sunday I decided to get ahead with things and I completed my orders and got my mail ready to go out today. That may seem like a small task, but with how busy things have been, it took me until about 5pm to get it completed. But I can't tell you how good it feels to see all these orders all wrapped up and ready to go out. I feel like I am ahead for the week.

For the evening, I was going to continue on my "12 Days" ornaments, but I decided to start another project. (I know - I am crazy!)

I have been working with a painter whom I have admired for many years on a project of hers, and she revealed it this week. The artist is Peggy Harris of Peggy Harris Collectibles and a few months ago I had seen this beautiful design that she was teaching in Japan. I asked her if she needed anyone to cut the wood surfaces for her and to make a long story short, she did and we formed a little collaboration on this project.

Now I had nothing to do with the design of this project - the tiara surface is designed by Masayo Kunioka from Japan and the artwork pattern by Peggy - but I was commissioned to cut the wood for her pieces and classes in the USA, and I am thrilled to do so.

So instead of doing my own things, I decided that I HAD to paint one for my grand daughter, Willow (who is having a birthday in a couple of weeks.) Just look how adorable it is!

Drinkware Font Pattern Fashion accessory Event


I did the base coating of the frame and back board:

Tableware Dishware Drinkware Cup Textile


I copied the line work . . .

Font Art Paper Writing Publication


And began painting the background . . .

Elephant Textile Gesture Font Sculpture


The way that Peggy does things is a bit different than I am used to, so I learned a lot already. :)

I then began working on the steps and railings . . .

Font Art Tree Heart Event


. . . and started the shading of the steps . . .

Wood Art Font Creative arts Serveware


I am happy that it is coming out really nice so far . . .

Wood Triangle Rectangle Font Tints and shades


I kind of pooped out at this point, as I didn't want to continue when I was tired. So there it is.

Right now, you can get the pattern and the surface for a special deal at Peggy's Facebook Page - Peggy Harris Collectibles. She has a website too (www.peggyharris.com) but she is revamping it so the tiara and pattern isn't up there. Go to the Facebook page to get the piece and pattern if you like it. I will be selling the tiaras in a bit on my site, but not the pattern. There will be other designs on that piece as well, and Peggy is doing more fairy tale projects on it, too. (I saw the next one - it is as FABULOUS as this one is!)

So that is it for today. I am a bit late in posting, but here I am anyway. It will be another busy week.

But then . . .

I always have memories of the lake . . .

Cloud Water Sky Water resources Boat


Happy Monday to you all! :D
What a great place to spend your birthday celebrations. A very relaxing place by the looks of the photo. Love the tiara painting. willow will love it I'm sure. I foresee lots of sparkle and rhinestones being added :)
 

Attachments

#12,777 ·
Return to Fairyland

Who doesn't like to daydream sometimes? Who doesn't like to allow their thoughts to wander to places impossible to visit?

As children, we learn to daydream from the many stories and fairy tales we are told and read about. We visit fantastic places, where nothing is impossible and characters are not always human. We hear of mermaids, wizards, and other magical creatures that take on a personality and life that can only occur in our imaginations. It is wonderful and fascinating all at once.

We learn lessons from many of these stories, as that seems to be their initial intention. But most of the time, when we are young, we don't even realize that we are 'learning'. We are simply so delighted by the events that we want to read the stories over and over (and over) again.

Stories such as these are a fond memory from my own childhood. We didn't have much, but we did have access to a wonderful array of books. Many of them were old and smelled a bit musty, as they were passed down from my grandmother and who knows who read them before her.

There were many types of stories - mysteries such as the "Nancy Drew" and "The Hardy Boys" series (I think she had them all!), classics such as "Little Women", and of course, the fairy tales. This was a time before Disney had a hold on most of the popular fairy tales and things were not produced on such a grand scale. Of course, there were already Disney movies such as Snow White and Cinderella, but the movies were not accompanied by the tons of marketing merchandise that we see today. I think one of my first times to a movie house was to see the movie "Bambi" in the late '60's (Yes! I cried!) It brought cartoon stories and fairy tales to an entire new level - the big screen.

But most of my knowledge of the classic stories was through reading books or hearing stories. I don't want to sound 'old', but I like how when reading a book or listening to a story, it was up to our own mind to more or less 'fill in the blanks' and create the pictures or visions that go along with the stories. It may seem funny, but for many of those stories, I still have the same pictures in my mind today that I did nearly 50 years ago. No movie could ever equal that.

The best thing about fairy tales and stories is that you can enjoy them forever. Not only can you pass them down to your own children and grandchildren, but there is nothing that says you can't relive and enjoy them yourself - no matter how old you get.

Those of you who follow me know that I enjoy many types of art. If I were to have a 'specialty' for my own artwork, I would probably say that it is 'realistic wildlife'. I think that I have developed an ability to recreate what I see in front of me. It comes rather easy to me these days, and I am able to do it in many forms of media and types of paint. But that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy creating other types of art as well. I thoroughly enjoy painting others' patterns and following their style of painting. I think it is a good exercise for me and helps round me out as an artist within my own rite. I rarely paint a project where I don't learn something new. Following others' techniques and styles will only enhance my own. Besides that - it is FUN!

When I saw the new design that Peggy Harris created for her Japan class, I knew I HAD to paint it. I don't think it would have mattered if I had a recipient for it or not. I would keep it for myself, if anything. But I do have a grand daughter

(Willow) who is having a third birthday and I think it will delight her. (I suppose I have to paint more than one so I can keep one for me!) Long story short, I contacted Peggy and offered to cut the adorable tiara surfaces for her for her North American audience. I had to wait a bit until she finished the class and was able to 'release' the pattern here. But the wait was worth while. Things seemed to fall into place and with us moving and all, the timing worked out perfectly.

Last weekend, she debuted this adorable pattern and surface on her Facebook page - Peggy Harris Collectibles. It is now available in a special pattern/surface package there. Later on, I will carry the SURFACE ONLY on my site. You will still need to go to Peggy for the pattern, but she offers it both in print and PDF so you can get started right away. To me, it is a magical journey through fairyland that is not only fun to paint, but fairly easy as well. Her instructions are full and complete and has so far been fun and no pressure, even though this isn't my usual painting style. I am learning quite a bit with it! I showed you the beginnings of it in yesterday's post, and I wanted to continue to show you how I did last night. I had a lot to do yesterday, including making up an ad for an online magazine, so I didn't get at it until after 8pm. But I made a lot of progress and I wanted to show you just how much I accomplished in a short time.

I finished the three railings and stairs:

Font Art Money Cash Triangle


The shading and highlighting was really fun. Since it is more of a cartoon than realistic, it was a 'looser' type of painting that didn't have to be fussy. I used my DecoArt Americana acrylic paints with the Canvas Gel extender to keep the paint moving a bit longer and to offer some more transparency. This worked really well for toning and subtle shading. If you haven't tried this method, I highly recommend it. The longer open time makes things go really easy, as you have time to move the paint just where you want to.

Here is a picture with the frame around it:

Wood Creative arts Art Rectangle Font


Then the REAL fun started!

I got to add the clock, flowers and topiary shades and highlights:

Textile Creative arts Wood Art Rectangle


There is really "no way" you can mess this up. It is just a series of "tap" "tap" "tap" with one color, than the next. How relaxing it was. Even the clock came out cute!

Finger Nail Wrist Thumb Art


The little topiary plants look so cute! I especially love the hearts on the top! The subtle details in this piece are what makes it so special, I think!

Textile Wood Font Art Pattern


Here is is with the frame in place:

Wood Creative arts Art Picture frame Heart


It is coming together nicely, isn't it?

This didn't take long to do at all. I think the next step is to paint the mice! I wanted to be fresh today to do that. I can't believe how quickly this is going and how nice it looks already. Maybe I WILL have it done in time for Willow's birthday after all! :)

Have I mentioned that I LOVE what I do for a living?

Even though this is something that I am doing for myself, I am learning several different and new (to me) techniques. It will help improve my own skills in the long run and hopefully I can apply some of them to my next projects.

Painting a fairy tale subject such as this just makes me happy. It is fun to allow my mind to wander back to the memories of my childhood and for a little while at least, I am THERE!

I don't think I will every get too old to enjoy a good fairy tale! Whether I have children around or not, there will always be the child inside of me that adores them. Thanks to Willow, I have an 'excuse' for now. After that, we will have to think of something else!

Dishware Rectangle Serveware Creative arts Font


Happy Tuesday to you all! May your day be filled with daydreams!
 

Attachments

#12,778 ·
Return to Fairyland

Who doesn't like to daydream sometimes? Who doesn't like to allow their thoughts to wander to places impossible to visit?

As children, we learn to daydream from the many stories and fairy tales we are told and read about. We visit fantastic places, where nothing is impossible and characters are not always human. We hear of mermaids, wizards, and other magical creatures that take on a personality and life that can only occur in our imaginations. It is wonderful and fascinating all at once.

We learn lessons from many of these stories, as that seems to be their initial intention. But most of the time, when we are young, we don't even realize that we are 'learning'. We are simply so delighted by the events that we want to read the stories over and over (and over) again.

Stories such as these are a fond memory from my own childhood. We didn't have much, but we did have access to a wonderful array of books. Many of them were old and smelled a bit musty, as they were passed down from my grandmother and who knows who read them before her.

There were many types of stories - mysteries such as the "Nancy Drew" and "The Hardy Boys" series (I think she had them all!), classics such as "Little Women", and of course, the fairy tales. This was a time before Disney had a hold on most of the popular fairy tales and things were not produced on such a grand scale. Of course, there were already Disney movies such as Snow White and Cinderella, but the movies were not accompanied by the tons of marketing merchandise that we see today. I think one of my first times to a movie house was to see the movie "Bambi" in the late '60's (Yes! I cried!) It brought cartoon stories and fairy tales to an entire new level - the big screen.

But most of my knowledge of the classic stories was through reading books or hearing stories. I don't want to sound 'old', but I like how when reading a book or listening to a story, it was up to our own mind to more or less 'fill in the blanks' and create the pictures or visions that go along with the stories. It may seem funny, but for many of those stories, I still have the same pictures in my mind today that I did nearly 50 years ago. No movie could ever equal that.

The best thing about fairy tales and stories is that you can enjoy them forever. Not only can you pass them down to your own children and grandchildren, but there is nothing that says you can't relive and enjoy them yourself - no matter how old you get.

Those of you who follow me know that I enjoy many types of art. If I were to have a 'specialty' for my own artwork, I would probably say that it is 'realistic wildlife'. I think that I have developed an ability to recreate what I see in front of me. It comes rather easy to me these days, and I am able to do it in many forms of media and types of paint. But that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy creating other types of art as well. I thoroughly enjoy painting others' patterns and following their style of painting. I think it is a good exercise for me and helps round me out as an artist within my own rite. I rarely paint a project where I don't learn something new. Following others' techniques and styles will only enhance my own. Besides that - it is FUN!

When I saw the new design that Peggy Harris created for her Japan class, I knew I HAD to paint it. I don't think it would have mattered if I had a recipient for it or not. I would keep it for myself, if anything. But I do have a grand daughter

(Willow) who is having a third birthday and I think it will delight her. (I suppose I have to paint more than one so I can keep one for me!) Long story short, I contacted Peggy and offered to cut the adorable tiara surfaces for her for her North American audience. I had to wait a bit until she finished the class and was able to 'release' the pattern here. But the wait was worth while. Things seemed to fall into place and with us moving and all, the timing worked out perfectly.

Last weekend, she debuted this adorable pattern and surface on her Facebook page - Peggy Harris Collectibles. It is now available in a special pattern/surface package there. Later on, I will carry the SURFACE ONLY on my site. You will still need to go to Peggy for the pattern, but she offers it both in print and PDF so you can get started right away. To me, it is a magical journey through fairyland that is not only fun to paint, but fairly easy as well. Her instructions are full and complete and has so far been fun and no pressure, even though this isn't my usual painting style. I am learning quite a bit with it! I showed you the beginnings of it in yesterday's post, and I wanted to continue to show you how I did last night. I had a lot to do yesterday, including making up an ad for an online magazine, so I didn't get at it until after 8pm. But I made a lot of progress and I wanted to show you just how much I accomplished in a short time.

I finished the three railings and stairs:

Font Art Money Cash Triangle


The shading and highlighting was really fun. Since it is more of a cartoon than realistic, it was a 'looser' type of painting that didn't have to be fussy. I used my DecoArt Americana acrylic paints with the Canvas Gel extender to keep the paint moving a bit longer and to offer some more transparency. This worked really well for toning and subtle shading. If you haven't tried this method, I highly recommend it. The longer open time makes things go really easy, as you have time to move the paint just where you want to.

Here is a picture with the frame around it:

Wood Creative arts Art Rectangle Font


Then the REAL fun started!

I got to add the clock, flowers and topiary shades and highlights:

Textile Creative arts Wood Art Rectangle


There is really "no way" you can mess this up. It is just a series of "tap" "tap" "tap" with one color, than the next. How relaxing it was. Even the clock came out cute!

Finger Nail Wrist Thumb Art


The little topiary plants look so cute! I especially love the hearts on the top! The subtle details in this piece are what makes it so special, I think!

Textile Wood Font Art Pattern


Here is is with the frame in place:

Wood Creative arts Art Picture frame Heart


It is coming together nicely, isn't it?

This didn't take long to do at all. I think the next step is to paint the mice! I wanted to be fresh today to do that. I can't believe how quickly this is going and how nice it looks already. Maybe I WILL have it done in time for Willow's birthday after all! :)

Have I mentioned that I LOVE what I do for a living?

Even though this is something that I am doing for myself, I am learning several different and new (to me) techniques. It will help improve my own skills in the long run and hopefully I can apply some of them to my next projects.

Painting a fairy tale subject such as this just makes me happy. It is fun to allow my mind to wander back to the memories of my childhood and for a little while at least, I am THERE!

I don't think I will every get too old to enjoy a good fairy tale! Whether I have children around or not, there will always be the child inside of me that adores them. Thanks to Willow, I have an 'excuse' for now. After that, we will have to think of something else!

Dishware Rectangle Serveware Creative arts Font


Happy Tuesday to you all! May your day be filled with daydreams!
The child inside of us never dies. As we get older we forget what we are doing moment to moment, WHERE DID I PUT THAT. but we remember the early years, they where so intense in discovery I guess.
 

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#12,780 ·
Plays Well With Others

Aristotle said "The whole is more than the sum of its parts."

While most of us know that in the literal sense that statement is incorrect, figuratively I think it has a lot of merit. The way that I interpret it is that we accomplish a great deal more working together with others than we can accomplish individually. I am seeing evidence of that lately in so many aspects of my work.

Since Keith has come to be a my partner, our business has soared. Not only is it easier to share the day to day tasks with someone (He is the "I.T. Guy" (Internet Technology) and I am the "P.R Girl" (Public Relations)). It is a relationship that doesn't always work - especially among couples, but because of our mutual respect and admiration for the others' abilities, and the trust which allows us to 'let go' of some things, we are each able to pursue our own interests without having to worry about filling every single need that a small business requires. And that is a GREAT thing. It allows us to spend more time on what each of us love doing most - designing new projects for others to enjoy. It is what I call a "win/win/win" for all involved: Keith, myself and our customers.

Lately, I am finding that this philosophy works well in other aspects of our business as well. Since the beginning of the year, I have been working with the very talented Lynne Andrews - a decorative painting artist whom I have admired for quite a long time. I have always loved her designs and I had the idea to create a Facebook page as a support group for one of her projects - "The 12 Days of Christmas" ornament series from her book "Christmas Blessings". Those of you who follow my posts regularly know that this has been fabulously successful for all involved. We now have over 300 people in our group (12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We Are Making Them!), and whether the members are actually creating the ornaments themselves or just cheering us on, it is an exciting and fun place that is promoting creativity and painting and friendship. It has made me some wonderful friends - Lynne included - and I admit from a business standpoint, it has helped my business grow in a way I could have never imagined. It was one of those 'happy accidents' that came from a pure desire to do what we love. Along the way, it has taught me a valuable lesson: working together with others who share my passion for creating not only helps the my business grow, but also helps bring positive excitement to the entire industry. I think that is a wonderful thing any way you look at it.

I remember sitting in one of my university art classes on a day when we were discussing the 'business of being an artist.' Most of us who were there in class had a true love of creating, so naturally we were exploring the different vocations associated with earning a living in an artistic field. Among the most stable and highest paying jobs available to artists was that of a "graphic designer." However, it was the general consensus that jobs in graphic design were not only highly stressful, but cut throat and competitive. Our instructor did everything in his power to discourage us from following that path. He cited companies such as Leo Burnett (which was based in Chicago) and mentioned that he had some associates that had worked there and suffered great anxiety and stress because of the fast-paced, competitive nature of the advertising industry.

Knowing even back then that I had a 'soft heart', I knew I wouldn't be happy in a job such as that. It would eat me alive. But it didn't discourage me from tucking into the back of my mind the thought of someday earning my living through art. I have always loved creating things. My earliest memories are those of me coloring, painting and embroidering. I never lost that desire to do so on a daily basis. I also wanted to share the good feelings I get from creating with others through teaching. Whether it be creating with paint, wood or thread, it is something that drives me every single day and makes me happy. It is a good way to live, and well worth the time it took for me to get to this point.

Now we are back at the present time, and I am finding that I am thoroughly enjoying working with like-minded artists and collaborating on several different types of projects. I am helping Sandy Warner McTier with the computer graphics for her adorable new stamps. I am producing custom wood surfaces for many artists that I long admired, such as Amy Mogish, Peggy Harris, and additional projects with Lynne Andrews to name a few. There are more in the works, too and I can't wait to reveal what is in store. I think the hardest part is keeping quiet about things until they are ready to be presented. Working with these artists is a priviledge that I never thought I would experience. I have learned so much from each of them, and it also has brought my work to a new level. I am very grateful for the opportunity and I try to step up to the plate and hit a home run with each project. It has been a win/win/win for everyone, I believe.

With autumn knocking at our door, I am (as are most designers) thinking ahead to fall projects. While I was going through my Halloween things the other day, I came across my little "Boo Bunny" magnets that I made from Peggy Harris' pattern several years ago. I was just returning to decorative painting after a long absence when I painted them, and they were one of the projects that kicked me back into that area of artwork and reawakened my desire to paint. Back then, I had a few people ask if I would cut the wood pieces, as Peggy's original pattern was done on a flat surface, and I did so. I had few painting followers then and the project came and went, although each year I took out my magnets and admired them.

With my recent collaboration with Peggy's Cinderealla Mouse tiara project, I thought I would ask her if it was OK for me to offer these cute little bunny ghosts as wood pieces and stand-ups. She graciously agreed and I helped her rewrite her instructions to make a marketable pattern packet which uses either Folk Art Acrylics or DecoArt Americanas to create this project.

Cartoon Stuffed toy Font Plush Event


Not only is the PATTERN Packet available on my website (PH01 -Peggy Harris "Boo Bunnies" Painting Pattern), but I am also offering an Ornament Wood Kit (SLDPK150), a Stand-Up Wood Kit (SLDPK151)



. . . and a Pattern and Wood Kit Combo (SLDPS150) which includes the full color pattern for all the bunnies, as well as a set of the 3.5" wood ornaments or magnets.

Recipe Gesture Font Brand Event


It is a fun way to get started on your autumn crafting and make these adorable ornaments or magnets! I hope you stop by the site and check things out. You can now also go directly to the painting section of my site by using the url http://www.tolepaintingdesigns.com. I find that avoids some of the confusion that my painters had when coming to the site.

As for my own "Cinderella Mouse" project, I had some time to work on it last night. I am thrilled with how it is progressing! I first sketched in the fur with the undercoats:

Organ World Leaf Paint Textile


. . . and then began adding the details:

Rabbit Hare Fawn Art Whiskers


The layering that Peggy teaches really makes this project fast and easy!

Rabbit Vertebrate Hare Whiskers Fawn


Before long, I finished the fur on the two mice and began basing out the clothing.

Dishware Textile Tableware Serveware Art


I got tired after that and called it a night. But I can't help but admire it with the pretty tiara frame laying on top!

Dishware Rectangle Bag Art Wood


I hope to finish it off today. I am pretty much in the home stretch. I am such a slow painter, but it really didn't take me long to do. I love seeing it come to life and I think I may have to paint another one for myself. (This one is for my grand daughter, Willow.) I will keep you posted.

Keith also revealed a new design on our site. All week I have been watching him draw these exquisite Large Filigree Ornament Frames with Optional Silhouette designs (SLDK685)

Font Art Badge Emblem Circle


The pattern for these lovely ornaments is now up on the site on the main scroll saw page. I think they are absolutely beautiful and I am sure they will be very popular.

Well, that is about all for today. I was up early and wanted to get to work.

I am so happy that I found not only a way to make a living being creative, but also some wonderful artists whom I call friends to share things with. It is so much more fun to have a colleague to share ideas with. I think they feel the same about me. In these days of everyone trying to be the 'best' and hearing of the competitive nature of some artists, it is nice to know there are those who enjoy working together with others and appreciate what fellow artists have to offer. I think that will help the industry grow and that the ones that will benefit most will be the students and customers. Collaborations are a wonderful thing, and the whole truly does exceed the sum of its parts in this instance. It is a wonderful thing for all involved.

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,781 ·
Plays Well With Others

Aristotle said "The whole is more than the sum of its parts."

While most of us know that in the literal sense that statement is incorrect, figuratively I think it has a lot of merit. The way that I interpret it is that we accomplish a great deal more working together with others than we can accomplish individually. I am seeing evidence of that lately in so many aspects of my work.

Since Keith has come to be a my partner, our business has soared. Not only is it easier to share the day to day tasks with someone (He is the "I.T. Guy" (Internet Technology) and I am the "P.R Girl" (Public Relations)). It is a relationship that doesn't always work - especially among couples, but because of our mutual respect and admiration for the others' abilities, and the trust which allows us to 'let go' of some things, we are each able to pursue our own interests without having to worry about filling every single need that a small business requires. And that is a GREAT thing. It allows us to spend more time on what each of us love doing most - designing new projects for others to enjoy. It is what I call a "win/win/win" for all involved: Keith, myself and our customers.

Lately, I am finding that this philosophy works well in other aspects of our business as well. Since the beginning of the year, I have been working with the very talented Lynne Andrews - a decorative painting artist whom I have admired for quite a long time. I have always loved her designs and I had the idea to create a Facebook page as a support group for one of her projects - "The 12 Days of Christmas" ornament series from her book "Christmas Blessings". Those of you who follow my posts regularly know that this has been fabulously successful for all involved. We now have over 300 people in our group (12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We Are Making Them!), and whether the members are actually creating the ornaments themselves or just cheering us on, it is an exciting and fun place that is promoting creativity and painting and friendship. It has made me some wonderful friends - Lynne included - and I admit from a business standpoint, it has helped my business grow in a way I could have never imagined. It was one of those 'happy accidents' that came from a pure desire to do what we love. Along the way, it has taught me a valuable lesson: working together with others who share my passion for creating not only helps the my business grow, but also helps bring positive excitement to the entire industry. I think that is a wonderful thing any way you look at it.

I remember sitting in one of my university art classes on a day when we were discussing the 'business of being an artist.' Most of us who were there in class had a true love of creating, so naturally we were exploring the different vocations associated with earning a living in an artistic field. Among the most stable and highest paying jobs available to artists was that of a "graphic designer." However, it was the general consensus that jobs in graphic design were not only highly stressful, but cut throat and competitive. Our instructor did everything in his power to discourage us from following that path. He cited companies such as Leo Burnett (which was based in Chicago) and mentioned that he had some associates that had worked there and suffered great anxiety and stress because of the fast-paced, competitive nature of the advertising industry.

Knowing even back then that I had a 'soft heart', I knew I wouldn't be happy in a job such as that. It would eat me alive. But it didn't discourage me from tucking into the back of my mind the thought of someday earning my living through art. I have always loved creating things. My earliest memories are those of me coloring, painting and embroidering. I never lost that desire to do so on a daily basis. I also wanted to share the good feelings I get from creating with others through teaching. Whether it be creating with paint, wood or thread, it is something that drives me every single day and makes me happy. It is a good way to live, and well worth the time it took for me to get to this point.

Now we are back at the present time, and I am finding that I am thoroughly enjoying working with like-minded artists and collaborating on several different types of projects. I am helping Sandy Warner McTier with the computer graphics for her adorable new stamps. I am producing custom wood surfaces for many artists that I long admired, such as Amy Mogish, Peggy Harris, and additional projects with Lynne Andrews to name a few. There are more in the works, too and I can't wait to reveal what is in store. I think the hardest part is keeping quiet about things until they are ready to be presented. Working with these artists is a priviledge that I never thought I would experience. I have learned so much from each of them, and it also has brought my work to a new level. I am very grateful for the opportunity and I try to step up to the plate and hit a home run with each project. It has been a win/win/win for everyone, I believe.

With autumn knocking at our door, I am (as are most designers) thinking ahead to fall projects. While I was going through my Halloween things the other day, I came across my little "Boo Bunny" magnets that I made from Peggy Harris' pattern several years ago. I was just returning to decorative painting after a long absence when I painted them, and they were one of the projects that kicked me back into that area of artwork and reawakened my desire to paint. Back then, I had a few people ask if I would cut the wood pieces, as Peggy's original pattern was done on a flat surface, and I did so. I had few painting followers then and the project came and went, although each year I took out my magnets and admired them.

With my recent collaboration with Peggy's Cinderealla Mouse tiara project, I thought I would ask her if it was OK for me to offer these cute little bunny ghosts as wood pieces and stand-ups. She graciously agreed and I helped her rewrite her instructions to make a marketable pattern packet which uses either Folk Art Acrylics or DecoArt Americanas to create this project.

Cartoon Stuffed toy Font Plush Event


Not only is the PATTERN Packet available on my website (PH01 -Peggy Harris "Boo Bunnies" Painting Pattern), but I am also offering an Ornament Wood Kit (SLDPK150), a Stand-Up Wood Kit (SLDPK151)



. . . and a Pattern and Wood Kit Combo (SLDPS150) which includes the full color pattern for all the bunnies, as well as a set of the 3.5" wood ornaments or magnets.

Recipe Gesture Font Brand Event


It is a fun way to get started on your autumn crafting and make these adorable ornaments or magnets! I hope you stop by the site and check things out. You can now also go directly to the painting section of my site by using the url http://www.tolepaintingdesigns.com. I find that avoids some of the confusion that my painters had when coming to the site.

As for my own "Cinderella Mouse" project, I had some time to work on it last night. I am thrilled with how it is progressing! I first sketched in the fur with the undercoats:

Organ World Leaf Paint Textile


. . . and then began adding the details:

Rabbit Hare Fawn Art Whiskers


The layering that Peggy teaches really makes this project fast and easy!

Rabbit Vertebrate Hare Whiskers Fawn


Before long, I finished the fur on the two mice and began basing out the clothing.

Dishware Textile Tableware Serveware Art


I got tired after that and called it a night. But I can't help but admire it with the pretty tiara frame laying on top!

Dishware Rectangle Bag Art Wood


I hope to finish it off today. I am pretty much in the home stretch. I am such a slow painter, but it really didn't take me long to do. I love seeing it come to life and I think I may have to paint another one for myself. (This one is for my grand daughter, Willow.) I will keep you posted.

Keith also revealed a new design on our site. All week I have been watching him draw these exquisite Large Filigree Ornament Frames with Optional Silhouette designs (SLDK685)

Font Art Badge Emblem Circle


The pattern for these lovely ornaments is now up on the site on the main scroll saw page. I think they are absolutely beautiful and I am sure they will be very popular.

Well, that is about all for today. I was up early and wanted to get to work.

I am so happy that I found not only a way to make a living being creative, but also some wonderful artists whom I call friends to share things with. It is so much more fun to have a colleague to share ideas with. I think they feel the same about me. In these days of everyone trying to be the 'best' and hearing of the competitive nature of some artists, it is nice to know there are those who enjoy working together with others and appreciate what fellow artists have to offer. I think that will help the industry grow and that the ones that will benefit most will be the students and customers. Collaborations are a wonderful thing, and the whole truly does exceed the sum of its parts in this instance. It is a wonderful thing for all involved.

Happy Thursday to you all!
You write in such a beautiful and touching way, travelling and at my daughters, has wifi so I can do more on the internet, will read more of your blogs, I have been researching different ways to decorate and color wood. On my way to do a volunteer work project in Oregon and order supplies. Thanks for sharing your life.
 

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