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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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#12,785 ·
Enjoying the Journey

It is raining today. That is good for us here in Nova Scotia.

While it has been a beautiful summer by most people's standards (mine, anyway!) it has been quite dry and the rain is very much appreciated. I supposed that it is appropriate that the piece "Raindrops" by Chopin just came on my headphones. I didn't plan it that way. I am listening to a six hour playlist of 'relaxing classical music' from YouTube. I like that lately in the morning. It is a good way to begin my day.

My day started 'late' today. I slept in until just after 8am. For me that is late because I am usually up at six. I have been working the 'night shift' a bit though and didn't get to sleep until after midnight. I don't want to burn the candle at both ends and get ill. Besides . . . it felt good to roll over one more time and get a little additional sleep. Hearing the falling rain does that to me. I love hearing the sound of it outside the window. It is so calming.

I have a lot planned for this weekend, although by some people's standards it may not be too exciting. Today I am going to finish my "Cinderella Mouse" piece by Peggy Harris. (Those who are interested in doing this piece yourself can get the wood and pattern on Peggy's Facebook Page.) It is a delightful project that I am thoroughly enjoying. Even though I am a slow painter, it is going pretty quickly considering the actual time I have put into it. I have been posting the progress photos in one of my Facebook painting groups and 'visiting' with my fellow painters each evening while painting it. If my hands were kept busy pushing the brushes rather than typing, I would have probably already finished. But the journey is really the best part. Lots of painters know that.

Yesterday, we left our Charming Prince half-naked and poor little "Cindy" unclothed. (That sounds a bit risque, doesn't it??)

Dishware Rectangle Bag Art Wood


I was pretty pleased with the fur though, except the underside of the Prince's head. There was a gap between his neck and arm, making him look . . . well . . . "odd".

I added some extra fur in and shaded and highlighted his clothing.

Wood Textile Paint Creative arts Art


Adding the gold metallic buttons and trim absolutely delighted me! I think you can see in this photo that I had previously brushed a very subtle wash of gold metallic paint on the railings (after all - this IS a MAGICAL moment!) and I loved that subtle effect. But the shiny gold paint really adds a lot to his outfit, making him look quite regal. I was pleased as could be with him so far!

At this point, it was nearly midnight and I was starting to get tired. But poor "Cindy" was still without clothing. I thought that perhaps I would just begin the under layers of her fluffy dress before heading off to bed. But it was so relaxing and fun, that I continued on for quite a bit, and worked on it until it was 'almost' done.

Insect Pollinator Creative arts Art Wood


She still needs detailing and highlights and glazing, but she is well on her way. I was premature when putting the blue bow in, as I still have some things I want to do to the body of the dress itself. I suppose it is good I quit when I did, as I was getting anxious to finish and I find when I push too hard, I muck it up because I rush things. So I had the presence of mind to tidy up things and sleep on it. I am glad I did.

I think that I want to apply a layer of DecoArt Glamour Dust to just the dress (after the final shading and highlighting, of course!) After all, she is a princess. She should have a dress that shimmers, right? Then when the dress is complete I only have to paint the crown, chandelier and slippers. for the main piece. Then the final frame and I am DONE! (And YES! I see that they both need TAILS! I will do them last!)

Wood Art Creative arts Souvenir Toy


I am really loving painting this fun piece. Part of me feels that I have no business doing this because I have so many of my own pieces that I want to develop. But like my Lynne Andrews list of pieces that I WILL be painting, I knew I HAD to do this one. I am happy that I have Willow (my grand daughter) so I have an 'excuse' to take time out to do this. (Let's be honest - I would have done it anyway! )

Sometimes it is the journey that is just as satisfying as the destination. Keith always says to me "your leisure time looks a lot like your work time." I suppose he is right. (Don't let him know I said that!) But think how FORTUNATE I am to have that as an observation.

I truly love what I do every single day. I am hoping that I can continue it as long as I am here on this Earth. Not many can say that.

This weekend, I plan on developing my own next painting project for Tole Town (for their September Quick Paint!) and working on a new scrolling pattern. I think that will keep me busy - rain or shine. I also have orders to fill for the darling "Boo Bunnies" that I featured in yesterday's post. I am happy they were well-received and I plan to paint my own stand up set for myself.

But that will be for another day . . .

Happy Friday to you all! Remember to take time to enjoy your own journey. It really makes your life FUN!
 

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#12,786 ·
Enjoying the Journey

It is raining today. That is good for us here in Nova Scotia.

While it has been a beautiful summer by most people's standards (mine, anyway!) it has been quite dry and the rain is very much appreciated. I supposed that it is appropriate that the piece "Raindrops" by Chopin just came on my headphones. I didn't plan it that way. I am listening to a six hour playlist of 'relaxing classical music' from YouTube. I like that lately in the morning. It is a good way to begin my day.

My day started 'late' today. I slept in until just after 8am. For me that is late because I am usually up at six. I have been working the 'night shift' a bit though and didn't get to sleep until after midnight. I don't want to burn the candle at both ends and get ill. Besides . . . it felt good to roll over one more time and get a little additional sleep. Hearing the falling rain does that to me. I love hearing the sound of it outside the window. It is so calming.

I have a lot planned for this weekend, although by some people's standards it may not be too exciting. Today I am going to finish my "Cinderella Mouse" piece by Peggy Harris. (Those who are interested in doing this piece yourself can get the wood and pattern on Peggy's Facebook Page.) It is a delightful project that I am thoroughly enjoying. Even though I am a slow painter, it is going pretty quickly considering the actual time I have put into it. I have been posting the progress photos in one of my Facebook painting groups and 'visiting' with my fellow painters each evening while painting it. If my hands were kept busy pushing the brushes rather than typing, I would have probably already finished. But the journey is really the best part. Lots of painters know that.

Yesterday, we left our Charming Prince half-naked and poor little "Cindy" unclothed. (That sounds a bit risque, doesn't it??)

Dishware Rectangle Bag Art Wood


I was pretty pleased with the fur though, except the underside of the Prince's head. There was a gap between his neck and arm, making him look . . . well . . . "odd".

I added some extra fur in and shaded and highlighted his clothing.

Wood Textile Paint Creative arts Art


Adding the gold metallic buttons and trim absolutely delighted me! I think you can see in this photo that I had previously brushed a very subtle wash of gold metallic paint on the railings (after all - this IS a MAGICAL moment!) and I loved that subtle effect. But the shiny gold paint really adds a lot to his outfit, making him look quite regal. I was pleased as could be with him so far!

At this point, it was nearly midnight and I was starting to get tired. But poor "Cindy" was still without clothing. I thought that perhaps I would just begin the under layers of her fluffy dress before heading off to bed. But it was so relaxing and fun, that I continued on for quite a bit, and worked on it until it was 'almost' done.

Insect Pollinator Creative arts Art Wood


She still needs detailing and highlights and glazing, but she is well on her way. I was premature when putting the blue bow in, as I still have some things I want to do to the body of the dress itself. I suppose it is good I quit when I did, as I was getting anxious to finish and I find when I push too hard, I muck it up because I rush things. So I had the presence of mind to tidy up things and sleep on it. I am glad I did.

I think that I want to apply a layer of DecoArt Glamour Dust to just the dress (after the final shading and highlighting, of course!) After all, she is a princess. She should have a dress that shimmers, right? Then when the dress is complete I only have to paint the crown, chandelier and slippers. for the main piece. Then the final frame and I am DONE! (And YES! I see that they both need TAILS! I will do them last!)

Wood Art Creative arts Souvenir Toy


I am really loving painting this fun piece. Part of me feels that I have no business doing this because I have so many of my own pieces that I want to develop. But like my Lynne Andrews list of pieces that I WILL be painting, I knew I HAD to do this one. I am happy that I have Willow (my grand daughter) so I have an 'excuse' to take time out to do this. (Let's be honest - I would have done it anyway! )

Sometimes it is the journey that is just as satisfying as the destination. Keith always says to me "your leisure time looks a lot like your work time." I suppose he is right. (Don't let him know I said that!) But think how FORTUNATE I am to have that as an observation.

I truly love what I do every single day. I am hoping that I can continue it as long as I am here on this Earth. Not many can say that.

This weekend, I plan on developing my own next painting project for Tole Town (for their September Quick Paint!) and working on a new scrolling pattern. I think that will keep me busy - rain or shine. I also have orders to fill for the darling "Boo Bunnies" that I featured in yesterday's post. I am happy they were well-received and I plan to paint my own stand up set for myself.

But that will be for another day . . .

Happy Friday to you all! Remember to take time to enjoy your own journey. It really makes your life FUN!
Is work work if you are enjoying what you do, early retirement and a long enjoyable life.
 

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#12,788 ·
Continuing the Fairy Tale . . .

As I awoke this morning and came down the stairs, my cat (Richard) was sitting in my studio room, staring at the floor vent. You all know how cats can be. Just - well - looking . . . (and looking. . . and looking.) It kind of creeped me out.

The house in which we live is old. My studio is on the first floor, right above the basement. The basement with the stone walls that many of the 150 year old houses in this area have. The basement that had several mouse traps in it prior to Keith power cleaning it and painting the concrete floor. It made me think . . .

With three cats, I am not too worried. I have never had 'critters' or mice ever in my life. Maybe that is because I always had cats. I would think a mouse would have to be pretty stupid to venture here with my three kitties. Even if they are 'indoor cats' and very well-fed. You never know though. . .

I looked over on my desk and saw my latest painting project. It was the "Cinderella Mouse" tiara designed by Peggy Harris that I have been working on lately. As I gazed at the cute little mice in fine clothing, I thought about the irony of the cat incident. While I adore the painting piece, it is quite unsettling for me to think that there may be "real", "NAKED" mice coming into the basement. We humans are strange like that. I suppose it is a little bit of a double-standard.

Maybe it was just the wind that got Rich's attention. Now he is sleeping in my nice, comfy leather chair and I am typing while sitting in the small task chair in my studio.

Cat White Felidae Comfort Carnivore


Perhaps he wanted to distract me for a while so he can settle and get the 'good chair' and the "mouse hunting" was just a ruse. I wonder if he is that smart . . .

I had another busy weekend, which made it seem to fly by. I had lots of orders to fill (thank you, everyone!), I drew up my new project for ToleTown's September Quick Paint project, and I made headway on my Cinderella Mouse project. I was hoping to finish the Cinderella, but yesterday was beautiful and Keith wanted to go for a hike, so I did that. After we returned and I was finishing addressing all the orders to go out today, we had some more unexpected company. So there went my evening. Sometimes living life is more important than writing about it. :)

We had a nice visit and by the time I settled down, it was after 10 and I was tired and didn't want to start painting. I am at the crucial end of the painting, where I want to be fresh and not ruin what I worked so hard to achieve up to this point, so I thought it would be best to wait until today to have a go at it. I have learned this through the years and it is an important lesson.

But I do have some lovely photos of my progress up until now. I hope they will delight you, as they do me . . .

I finished up Cindy's dress. The shading and highlights were just about where I wanted them (although in this photo, the bow isn't done.) I decided to add some DecoArt Glamour Dust in Lemon Yellow to the dress to give it a very subtle shimmer. I think it is beautiful!

Textile Art Creative arts Wood Painting


Now we needed shoes! I found the slippers to be a bit challenging, but I did make them work. I swiped each of them with DecoArt's Turquoise Interference Media Paint, which is a transparent, iridescent paint. This made them really look like glass - more so than in the photograph. I also used DecoArt White Pearl Metallic paint for Cindy's tiara and also the dots on the dress and shoes. You can kind of see it in the photo, but in person it is just lovely!

Textile Art Painting Supernatural creature Creative arts


Here is how the picture looks with the frame in place:

Wood Textile Art Supernatural creature Angel


. . . and a more detailed shot:

Art Mythical creature Supernatural creature Angel Fictional character


I then needed to finish up her gown, add the tails, add the chandelier, and also the small dots of gold on the greenery around the clock. How beautiful and elegant it looks! The back board is now DONE!

Textile Sleeve Creative arts Art Supernatural creature


Now on to the frame . . .

I based the leaves and pumpkins. I absolutely loved this loose and free style of painting. For me (who is what one would call a 'tight painter') it is a stretch, but you really can't goof it up. :)

Yellow Font Table Eyewear Art


I then began the process of shading and highlighting the elements. The pumpkin is nearly done, but the leaf still needs some work. I will add some Alizarin Crimson highlights to the green leaves, I think. Just a touch!

Plant Ingredient Wood Font Natural foods


So here is where we stand right now. What a beautiful addition this frame will make to an already lovely painting!

Art Plant Wood Nativity scene Calabaza


I can't begin to tell you all how much I have been enjoying this project. I knew I had to paint it when I first saw it, but as I actually did the process, I saw the many, many details that made it even more wonderful.

One more 'session' and I should be able to button things up. Maybe tonight. But I have to get those orders to the post office today which will take a while to do (there are about 30 of them that they need to process) and then I need to work on my next project. I may skip back and forth as I do them.

I think you will like the new piece I am doing, too. I drew it up on Saturday as I mentioned and I am ready to paint it. You will need to come back tomorrow to see what I am up to.

Rich is still sleeping next to me in my chair. You would swear he has a little smile on his face. Perhaps he is dreaming of the mice he may or may not have heard. Perhaps he is just happy that he is sitting in the good chair and got his way. One never knows what goes on in the mind of a cat. . .

I wish you all a lovely day today. It is somewhat overcast and cool. Very 'autumn-like'. I am glad we enjoyed our weekend and I hope you did as well. May you all have a wonderful week ahead.

Happy Monday to you!
 

Attachments

#12,789 ·
Continuing the Fairy Tale . . .

As I awoke this morning and came down the stairs, my cat (Richard) was sitting in my studio room, staring at the floor vent. You all know how cats can be. Just - well - looking . . . (and looking. . . and looking.) It kind of creeped me out.

The house in which we live is old. My studio is on the first floor, right above the basement. The basement with the stone walls that many of the 150 year old houses in this area have. The basement that had several mouse traps in it prior to Keith power cleaning it and painting the concrete floor. It made me think . . .

With three cats, I am not too worried. I have never had 'critters' or mice ever in my life. Maybe that is because I always had cats. I would think a mouse would have to be pretty stupid to venture here with my three kitties. Even if they are 'indoor cats' and very well-fed. You never know though. . .

I looked over on my desk and saw my latest painting project. It was the "Cinderella Mouse" tiara designed by Peggy Harris that I have been working on lately. As I gazed at the cute little mice in fine clothing, I thought about the irony of the cat incident. While I adore the painting piece, it is quite unsettling for me to think that there may be "real", "NAKED" mice coming into the basement. We humans are strange like that. I suppose it is a little bit of a double-standard.

Maybe it was just the wind that got Rich's attention. Now he is sleeping in my nice, comfy leather chair and I am typing while sitting in the small task chair in my studio.

Cat White Felidae Comfort Carnivore


Perhaps he wanted to distract me for a while so he can settle and get the 'good chair' and the "mouse hunting" was just a ruse. I wonder if he is that smart . . .

I had another busy weekend, which made it seem to fly by. I had lots of orders to fill (thank you, everyone!), I drew up my new project for ToleTown's September Quick Paint project, and I made headway on my Cinderella Mouse project. I was hoping to finish the Cinderella, but yesterday was beautiful and Keith wanted to go for a hike, so I did that. After we returned and I was finishing addressing all the orders to go out today, we had some more unexpected company. So there went my evening. Sometimes living life is more important than writing about it. :)

We had a nice visit and by the time I settled down, it was after 10 and I was tired and didn't want to start painting. I am at the crucial end of the painting, where I want to be fresh and not ruin what I worked so hard to achieve up to this point, so I thought it would be best to wait until today to have a go at it. I have learned this through the years and it is an important lesson.

But I do have some lovely photos of my progress up until now. I hope they will delight you, as they do me . . .

I finished up Cindy's dress. The shading and highlights were just about where I wanted them (although in this photo, the bow isn't done.) I decided to add some DecoArt Glamour Dust in Lemon Yellow to the dress to give it a very subtle shimmer. I think it is beautiful!

Textile Art Creative arts Wood Painting


Now we needed shoes! I found the slippers to be a bit challenging, but I did make them work. I swiped each of them with DecoArt's Turquoise Interference Media Paint, which is a transparent, iridescent paint. This made them really look like glass - more so than in the photograph. I also used DecoArt White Pearl Metallic paint for Cindy's tiara and also the dots on the dress and shoes. You can kind of see it in the photo, but in person it is just lovely!

Textile Art Painting Supernatural creature Creative arts


Here is how the picture looks with the frame in place:

Wood Textile Art Supernatural creature Angel


. . . and a more detailed shot:

Art Mythical creature Supernatural creature Angel Fictional character


I then needed to finish up her gown, add the tails, add the chandelier, and also the small dots of gold on the greenery around the clock. How beautiful and elegant it looks! The back board is now DONE!

Textile Sleeve Creative arts Art Supernatural creature


Now on to the frame . . .

I based the leaves and pumpkins. I absolutely loved this loose and free style of painting. For me (who is what one would call a 'tight painter') it is a stretch, but you really can't goof it up. :)

Yellow Font Table Eyewear Art


I then began the process of shading and highlighting the elements. The pumpkin is nearly done, but the leaf still needs some work. I will add some Alizarin Crimson highlights to the green leaves, I think. Just a touch!

Plant Ingredient Wood Font Natural foods


So here is where we stand right now. What a beautiful addition this frame will make to an already lovely painting!

Art Plant Wood Nativity scene Calabaza


I can't begin to tell you all how much I have been enjoying this project. I knew I had to paint it when I first saw it, but as I actually did the process, I saw the many, many details that made it even more wonderful.

One more 'session' and I should be able to button things up. Maybe tonight. But I have to get those orders to the post office today which will take a while to do (there are about 30 of them that they need to process) and then I need to work on my next project. I may skip back and forth as I do them.

I think you will like the new piece I am doing, too. I drew it up on Saturday as I mentioned and I am ready to paint it. You will need to come back tomorrow to see what I am up to.

Rich is still sleeping next to me in my chair. You would swear he has a little smile on his face. Perhaps he is dreaming of the mice he may or may not have heard. Perhaps he is just happy that he is sitting in the good chair and got his way. One never knows what goes on in the mind of a cat. . .

I wish you all a lovely day today. It is somewhat overcast and cool. Very 'autumn-like'. I am glad we enjoyed our weekend and I hope you did as well. May you all have a wonderful week ahead.

Happy Monday to you!
First thing I did on Lumberjocks this morning. Good Morning to you too. My daughter near Oshawa Ontario live in a house that has a simular basement, Large stones and a low ceiling that I have to duck to move around in it. The large addition is modern though. Your project is looking great. well done.
 

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#12,794 ·
From Fairy Land to Fantasy

As an independent, freelance designer, I am fortunate that I am able to vary my designs to my heart's content. While I do have to (somewhat) follow trends, I have the flexibility of creating not only the type of pattern that I would like to see, but also pick the subject, type of media that is used to create it. It is really what makes things fun.

But with that fun, also comes responsibility. Many know that 'artists' tend to march to their own drummer. While this creates new and innovative projects for everyone to share, it isn't always guaranteed that they will be liked or even accepted. There is sometimes a fine line between making something that is unique and something that is obscure. We have to try to figure things out before investing a great deal of time into something, or it may be a bust.

We all have successes and failures as designers. I think that someone is being unrealistic if they think that every project from a particular designer will be a grand slam. It isn't to say that one may not have lots of hits, but going into the game thinking that success will be a 'given' is just something that is bound to set one up for disappointment. We have to look at things and weigh each project appropriately because like it or not, if we are designing for a living, time is money. It could mean the difference between losing our freedom of creating and being able to continue on. We need to keep it in balance.

Sometimes I think about future projects for a long time prior to actually creating them. As I frequently mention, my list of 'to do' projects is long (and getting longer all the time.) I have some projects that I have been thinking through in my head for literally years that either miss the season once or twice or aren't quite ready to be developed yet for one reason or another. It is for this reason that to some of you designing new things may seem to come easy to me. From your point of view, it only takes a mere day or two and I am rolling out a new project. But some of my best efforts are those which have been incubating in my head for a while as I iron out most of the issues and plan. Those unseen parts of a designers' job are sometimes the most important. They are a very valuable use of my time - even if no one else is aware of them.

For the past couple of years, I have been a member of the "Toletown Designer Team". For those of you who may not know, Toletown is an online community for decorative painters. By becoming a member for a small fee, you have access to hundreds of patterns, instructional videos, classes and even forums. It is a great place to learn and share your love of painting for a very nominal cost. As a member of the design team, I am one of the team of designers that creates the projects and classes for the upcoming year. Every month there are two new full classes (with videos) and a new easier project called a "Quick Paint". This is a full pattern, but no video lesson.

I am scheduled to contribute the "Quick Paint" lesson for September.

This is somewhat of a challenge for me, because I have trouble doing anything "Quick". I may start doing something simple, but by the time I am done, I have added layers of details over it and labor over it to the point of turning it into something more advanced. Keeping things simple is a challenge in itself for me. But I really tried this time . . .

With Halloween approaching, I had wanted to do a series of "Potion Bottles" for my own painting patterns. I love bottles in general, and I could think of some really cool themes for them. This is one of those projects that I had intended on doing for the past several years, and for one reason or another I have been distracted by other things and run out of time and the project was sidelined. Last month when my notice came that my project for September would be due, I knew it was time to jump in and get this going. It was time for it to become reality.

I drew up my first 'bottle' this past weekend and cut my wood pieces. Now the good things about this is that it can be easily adapted to just about any surface. I will (of course) offer the wood pieces on my own site though. I think I will offer an entire set of 'bottles' for people to use.

I couldn't decide if I wanted a plaque, stand-up piece or ornament/magnet. My best solution to that was to offer all three. (Whoops - there I go again!) I fought with this idea, but in the end, the three sizes won out. I couldn't NOT offer them when they were screaming to be made. They all have merit as far as I am concerned and it will make the design more versatile. While the larger pieces will be easier to achieve detail and paint, the smaller ones would definitely be "quick" and fit the criteria for the project I was commissioned to do. So three it is.

I spent the bulk of yesterday working out the first piece. I chose the smaller one because it would FORCE me to be less detailed. (YAY!) and achieve my goal. While I went back and forth a couple of times with the colors (yes - I actually had several "do overs" to improve the look and make it look like what I envisioned in my head!) I finally got to the following point:

Blue Finger Font Electric blue Creative arts


It looks pretty cool, doesn't it?? In person it is even nicer because I used some of the lovely DecoArt iridescent Interference paint from their Media line. I love the little charm that I found as well. I found it at the same place I got my bees and 12 Days charms and I thought it was just perfect for this project. As I said, I will be adding these little charms to several of my new pieces in the future. I had fun with ordering a lot of cool things to play with from the supplier and I can't wait to reveal them.

I think this little piece will look splendid on my Halloween tree as an ornament. But it could be used on a wreath or even as a lapel pin. The larger sizes will be done today.

Green Product Blue Liquid Azure


I believe the process will go much easier because I worked out all the colors, etc. I may be able to put a few more details in the larger pieces. We will see . . .

I don't know if I mentioned lately that I LOVE what I do. While there are no guarantees when you live your life as a designer, you do get a feel for things and more often than not, you are able to work from your heart. There is a bit of risk involved, but I think that is part of the thrill. Sometimes you even hit a home run.

I hope you all like the new project. I will have more pictures on the other pieces tomorrow.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,795 ·
From Fairy Land to Fantasy

As an independent, freelance designer, I am fortunate that I am able to vary my designs to my heart's content. While I do have to (somewhat) follow trends, I have the flexibility of creating not only the type of pattern that I would like to see, but also pick the subject, type of media that is used to create it. It is really what makes things fun.

But with that fun, also comes responsibility. Many know that 'artists' tend to march to their own drummer. While this creates new and innovative projects for everyone to share, it isn't always guaranteed that they will be liked or even accepted. There is sometimes a fine line between making something that is unique and something that is obscure. We have to try to figure things out before investing a great deal of time into something, or it may be a bust.

We all have successes and failures as designers. I think that someone is being unrealistic if they think that every project from a particular designer will be a grand slam. It isn't to say that one may not have lots of hits, but going into the game thinking that success will be a 'given' is just something that is bound to set one up for disappointment. We have to look at things and weigh each project appropriately because like it or not, if we are designing for a living, time is money. It could mean the difference between losing our freedom of creating and being able to continue on. We need to keep it in balance.

Sometimes I think about future projects for a long time prior to actually creating them. As I frequently mention, my list of 'to do' projects is long (and getting longer all the time.) I have some projects that I have been thinking through in my head for literally years that either miss the season once or twice or aren't quite ready to be developed yet for one reason or another. It is for this reason that to some of you designing new things may seem to come easy to me. From your point of view, it only takes a mere day or two and I am rolling out a new project. But some of my best efforts are those which have been incubating in my head for a while as I iron out most of the issues and plan. Those unseen parts of a designers' job are sometimes the most important. They are a very valuable use of my time - even if no one else is aware of them.

For the past couple of years, I have been a member of the "Toletown Designer Team". For those of you who may not know, Toletown is an online community for decorative painters. By becoming a member for a small fee, you have access to hundreds of patterns, instructional videos, classes and even forums. It is a great place to learn and share your love of painting for a very nominal cost. As a member of the design team, I am one of the team of designers that creates the projects and classes for the upcoming year. Every month there are two new full classes (with videos) and a new easier project called a "Quick Paint". This is a full pattern, but no video lesson.

I am scheduled to contribute the "Quick Paint" lesson for September.

This is somewhat of a challenge for me, because I have trouble doing anything "Quick". I may start doing something simple, but by the time I am done, I have added layers of details over it and labor over it to the point of turning it into something more advanced. Keeping things simple is a challenge in itself for me. But I really tried this time . . .

With Halloween approaching, I had wanted to do a series of "Potion Bottles" for my own painting patterns. I love bottles in general, and I could think of some really cool themes for them. This is one of those projects that I had intended on doing for the past several years, and for one reason or another I have been distracted by other things and run out of time and the project was sidelined. Last month when my notice came that my project for September would be due, I knew it was time to jump in and get this going. It was time for it to become reality.

I drew up my first 'bottle' this past weekend and cut my wood pieces. Now the good things about this is that it can be easily adapted to just about any surface. I will (of course) offer the wood pieces on my own site though. I think I will offer an entire set of 'bottles' for people to use.

I couldn't decide if I wanted a plaque, stand-up piece or ornament/magnet. My best solution to that was to offer all three. (Whoops - there I go again!) I fought with this idea, but in the end, the three sizes won out. I couldn't NOT offer them when they were screaming to be made. They all have merit as far as I am concerned and it will make the design more versatile. While the larger pieces will be easier to achieve detail and paint, the smaller ones would definitely be "quick" and fit the criteria for the project I was commissioned to do. So three it is.

I spent the bulk of yesterday working out the first piece. I chose the smaller one because it would FORCE me to be less detailed. (YAY!) and achieve my goal. While I went back and forth a couple of times with the colors (yes - I actually had several "do overs" to improve the look and make it look like what I envisioned in my head!) I finally got to the following point:

Blue Finger Font Electric blue Creative arts


It looks pretty cool, doesn't it?? In person it is even nicer because I used some of the lovely DecoArt iridescent Interference paint from their Media line. I love the little charm that I found as well. I found it at the same place I got my bees and 12 Days charms and I thought it was just perfect for this project. As I said, I will be adding these little charms to several of my new pieces in the future. I had fun with ordering a lot of cool things to play with from the supplier and I can't wait to reveal them.

I think this little piece will look splendid on my Halloween tree as an ornament. But it could be used on a wreath or even as a lapel pin. The larger sizes will be done today.

Green Product Blue Liquid Azure


I believe the process will go much easier because I worked out all the colors, etc. I may be able to put a few more details in the larger pieces. We will see . . .

I don't know if I mentioned lately that I LOVE what I do. While there are no guarantees when you live your life as a designer, you do get a feel for things and more often than not, you are able to work from your heart. There is a bit of risk involved, but I think that is part of the thrill. Sometimes you even hit a home run.

I hope you all like the new project. I will have more pictures on the other pieces tomorrow.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
That looks great. Well done.
 

Attachments

#12,798 ·
Welcome to the "Slow Train"

I have missed the past few days of blogging, but with good reason. It used to bother me to miss, but after over 1700 posts, I have come to understand that sometimes we need to have to stay off of social media and the computer in general in order to do the things that we want to write about. For me, that is usually doing some type of creating. (Although yesterday I had an eye exam appointment in the morning in Digby, which is about a hour drive from where I live. There was no way that I would have been able to write a quality post and get to the office on time. I am not as quick as I used to be!)

I don't think I do many things 'quick' these days. I haven't decided if that is a bad thing or good thing yet either.

It seems I used to fly through tasks with lightning speed, accomplishing things left and right. The check list was long and it was rare that I didn't accomplish at least most of what I set out to do (and in the time frame that I allowed myself to do it!) But lately, it seems that I have a permanent ticket on the "Slow Train" and no matter how hard I try, one thing or another just won't let me go any other way. But is that really a bad thing? I am beginning to think it isn't.

When I was younger and raising my children, there were always lots of things to do. Besides taking care of them, there were numerous chores around the house as well as trying to earn a little extra money for our family through crafts. If I ever wanted to do something for myself, the only way I would be able to do so was to hurry through my other tasks in order to squeeze out an extra hour or so (if I was LUCKY!) for myself. It just didn't happen often. I think that running at that pace for so many years conditioned me to live my life in a certain way. I am sure that most who were in similar situations could relate.

But now the kids are grown and it is just Keith, myself and the kitties. There is no school bus to catch, no costumes to make for school plays and holidays and no parties to plan. It is much quieter in life in general. Some call it the "empty nest" but I like to call it the "quiet nest". The quiet allows me to spend a bit of time following my dream and creating.

But one thing that I noticed is that when I do something, I have slowed down considerably. I can't seem to hurry through things like I used to. I am not sure of the reason, but I feel in my heart that part of it may be because after all those years of rushing through things, I want to take my time and enjoy each and every journey that I encounter. Time has passed so quickly and yesterday my youngest daughter turned 26 years old. How the heck did over a quarter of a century pass since she was a born? It seems like maybe a couple of years went by - but 26?!? Wow! It really got me thinking.

I don't live my life with regrets, but if I could change one thing about it, it would be to pay more attention to TODAY and enjoy the here and now. The Carly Simon song line of "These are the good old days" comes to mind often. These ARE the good old days and one day we may be looking back on TODAY and thinking how awesome it was. Instead of rushing by things, I want to appreciate every single day and enjoy every minute of it. It too will pass quickly.

With that being said, I have spent the past few days creating a 'Quick Paint' project for Toletown online painting community. If you are not familiar with them, you should check them out at www.toletown.com. It is a wonderful place for beginner and advanced painters alike. For the annual subscription (there are also monthly and quarterly memberships available if you would just like to try them out, too.) you receive TWO full, online painting classes as well as a "Quick Paint" project. The online classes have accompanying videos with them which show new techniques and highlights the projects. They all have full instructions and line drawings that you can download and enjoy on your own time. You can see all the benefits for each type of membership on the "Membership" page. It is certainly a lot for your money.

Anyway - it was my turn to do the Quick Paint project for the month. I thought that I would make a cool Potion Bottle to offer members, as I am in the process of making some more of these fun and cute bottle project patterns to sell on my own site. (Stay tuned - they will be coming up shortly!) I thought as ornaments Halloween they would make nice, cute additions to wreaths, trees, etc. Here is the 4" version:

Font Electric blue Jewellery Event Circle


But as I was making the small 4" ornament, I wanted to do a larger piece that could stand up on a mantle or side board. Now that we have a full house to decorate, I am looking for new ways to display things. So I decided to also make a 6" version of the ornament that was cut from 1/2" stock and could stand on its own. Her is that photo:

Fluid Font Aqua Liquid Handwriting


But then I got to thinking . . .

Wouldn't this be nice even BIGGER, standing in an easel or as the center of a nice wreath?

So I created a 10" version as well, cut from 1/4" material:

Fluid Font Gas Electric blue Handwriting


I realize it looks much the same as the other two, but I wanted people to really SEE the difference in sizes and hopefully it would get their imagination motor running. While it took a while to get things finished, I think that the time was well-spent.

Each piece is embellished with some cool glass pearl beads and real seashells!

Body jewelry Creative arts Natural material Font Shankha


I am offering both the mermaid charms by themselves as a product on my site (EMB11)

Ruler Font Plant Office ruler Logo


. . . and I am also offering a complete package of elements that I call an "Ocean Mix" (EMB12) which can be used in a variety of crafts.

Body jewelry Earrings Office equipment Jewellery Audio equipment


I really love the beautiful pieces that I came across and so far they have been really well-received by you all. I will continue to add pieces as I use them in my own creations. :)

I think the presentation of the pieces together really looks wonderful.

Sleeve Font Jewellery Souvenir Fashion accessory


By the time I got home yesterday, it was nearly noon. I spent the rest of the day and evening creating the pattern packet for these fun bottles. The packet has 31 step-by-step photos and came out to be 17 pages long! No wonder it took me a while to do!

The length of the pattern doesn't mean that it is difficult. I think it is quite the opposite. The reason there are so many photos is because I want every level of painter to be able to accomplish the project. The techniques are not difficult at all - as a matter of fact, they are very basic. I just think by breaking things down into 'baby steps', newcomers are much more receptive to things and able to follow along without worries or stress. And isn't that how it should be when creating or starting something new?

Perhaps it is because of my 20 years of writing for magazines. Or maybe it is because after going through life on the "Fast Train" I am enjoying this ride on the "Slow Train" at this point in my life. Yes - there is lots to do. Yes - there are deadlines to meet. But I am finding that if I don't take time to enjoy the journey, than reaching the goals just doesn't mean as much. After all, the journey is what fills up most of our lives. By learning to enjoy that part of things the most, we are naturally happier and feel more accomplished. Don't you think?

This weekend I plan on going back to doing some of the things around my new home here. I have lots of 'house projects' that I want to complete before the weather changes. I want to spend some time making our house a home and enjoying the newly acquired space we have. I will be filling orders and painting and drawing in between, but for a couple of days at least, I want to shift gears and do some more home decor projects. It will not only be fun, but make things more comfortable and attractive here where we live. I will certainly keep you posted on what I am up to!

Keith has also been working on some new projects and he wanted me to give a sneak peek of his latest scroll saw design:

Chair Table Wood Font Fawn


I guess those upcoming holidays are going to be on the "Fast Train" too and will be here before we know it. It is our job as designers to keep you all busy and happy with new designs for your own holiday gift giving and shows.

I thoroughly enjoyed every step of making the fun potion bottles. While in my head I have imagined perhaps 10 or more versions of potion bottles, I am learning to take it one design at a time and not try to rush through the process. One by one they will come to be. In the mean time, I know in my heart that I did my best presenting them and explaining how to recreate them. I hope you all appreciate that and enjoy it as well. :)

I wish you all a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Autumn is just around the corner. I hope you enjoy these final days of summer and take the 'slow train' to wherever you are heading. You won't regret it, I promise!

Happy Friday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,799 ·
Welcome to the "Slow Train"

I have missed the past few days of blogging, but with good reason. It used to bother me to miss, but after over 1700 posts, I have come to understand that sometimes we need to have to stay off of social media and the computer in general in order to do the things that we want to write about. For me, that is usually doing some type of creating. (Although yesterday I had an eye exam appointment in the morning in Digby, which is about a hour drive from where I live. There was no way that I would have been able to write a quality post and get to the office on time. I am not as quick as I used to be!)

I don't think I do many things 'quick' these days. I haven't decided if that is a bad thing or good thing yet either.

It seems I used to fly through tasks with lightning speed, accomplishing things left and right. The check list was long and it was rare that I didn't accomplish at least most of what I set out to do (and in the time frame that I allowed myself to do it!) But lately, it seems that I have a permanent ticket on the "Slow Train" and no matter how hard I try, one thing or another just won't let me go any other way. But is that really a bad thing? I am beginning to think it isn't.

When I was younger and raising my children, there were always lots of things to do. Besides taking care of them, there were numerous chores around the house as well as trying to earn a little extra money for our family through crafts. If I ever wanted to do something for myself, the only way I would be able to do so was to hurry through my other tasks in order to squeeze out an extra hour or so (if I was LUCKY!) for myself. It just didn't happen often. I think that running at that pace for so many years conditioned me to live my life in a certain way. I am sure that most who were in similar situations could relate.

But now the kids are grown and it is just Keith, myself and the kitties. There is no school bus to catch, no costumes to make for school plays and holidays and no parties to plan. It is much quieter in life in general. Some call it the "empty nest" but I like to call it the "quiet nest". The quiet allows me to spend a bit of time following my dream and creating.

But one thing that I noticed is that when I do something, I have slowed down considerably. I can't seem to hurry through things like I used to. I am not sure of the reason, but I feel in my heart that part of it may be because after all those years of rushing through things, I want to take my time and enjoy each and every journey that I encounter. Time has passed so quickly and yesterday my youngest daughter turned 26 years old. How the heck did over a quarter of a century pass since she was a born? It seems like maybe a couple of years went by - but 26?!? Wow! It really got me thinking.

I don't live my life with regrets, but if I could change one thing about it, it would be to pay more attention to TODAY and enjoy the here and now. The Carly Simon song line of "These are the good old days" comes to mind often. These ARE the good old days and one day we may be looking back on TODAY and thinking how awesome it was. Instead of rushing by things, I want to appreciate every single day and enjoy every minute of it. It too will pass quickly.

With that being said, I have spent the past few days creating a 'Quick Paint' project for Toletown online painting community. If you are not familiar with them, you should check them out at www.toletown.com. It is a wonderful place for beginner and advanced painters alike. For the annual subscription (there are also monthly and quarterly memberships available if you would just like to try them out, too.) you receive TWO full, online painting classes as well as a "Quick Paint" project. The online classes have accompanying videos with them which show new techniques and highlights the projects. They all have full instructions and line drawings that you can download and enjoy on your own time. You can see all the benefits for each type of membership on the "Membership" page. It is certainly a lot for your money.

Anyway - it was my turn to do the Quick Paint project for the month. I thought that I would make a cool Potion Bottle to offer members, as I am in the process of making some more of these fun and cute bottle project patterns to sell on my own site. (Stay tuned - they will be coming up shortly!) I thought as ornaments Halloween they would make nice, cute additions to wreaths, trees, etc. Here is the 4" version:

Font Electric blue Jewellery Event Circle


But as I was making the small 4" ornament, I wanted to do a larger piece that could stand up on a mantle or side board. Now that we have a full house to decorate, I am looking for new ways to display things. So I decided to also make a 6" version of the ornament that was cut from 1/2" stock and could stand on its own. Her is that photo:

Fluid Font Aqua Liquid Handwriting


But then I got to thinking . . .

Wouldn't this be nice even BIGGER, standing in an easel or as the center of a nice wreath?

So I created a 10" version as well, cut from 1/4" material:

Fluid Font Gas Electric blue Handwriting


I realize it looks much the same as the other two, but I wanted people to really SEE the difference in sizes and hopefully it would get their imagination motor running. While it took a while to get things finished, I think that the time was well-spent.

Each piece is embellished with some cool glass pearl beads and real seashells!

Body jewelry Creative arts Natural material Font Shankha


I am offering both the mermaid charms by themselves as a product on my site (EMB11)

Ruler Font Plant Office ruler Logo


. . . and I am also offering a complete package of elements that I call an "Ocean Mix" (EMB12) which can be used in a variety of crafts.

Body jewelry Earrings Office equipment Jewellery Audio equipment


I really love the beautiful pieces that I came across and so far they have been really well-received by you all. I will continue to add pieces as I use them in my own creations. :)

I think the presentation of the pieces together really looks wonderful.

Sleeve Font Jewellery Souvenir Fashion accessory


By the time I got home yesterday, it was nearly noon. I spent the rest of the day and evening creating the pattern packet for these fun bottles. The packet has 31 step-by-step photos and came out to be 17 pages long! No wonder it took me a while to do!

The length of the pattern doesn't mean that it is difficult. I think it is quite the opposite. The reason there are so many photos is because I want every level of painter to be able to accomplish the project. The techniques are not difficult at all - as a matter of fact, they are very basic. I just think by breaking things down into 'baby steps', newcomers are much more receptive to things and able to follow along without worries or stress. And isn't that how it should be when creating or starting something new?

Perhaps it is because of my 20 years of writing for magazines. Or maybe it is because after going through life on the "Fast Train" I am enjoying this ride on the "Slow Train" at this point in my life. Yes - there is lots to do. Yes - there are deadlines to meet. But I am finding that if I don't take time to enjoy the journey, than reaching the goals just doesn't mean as much. After all, the journey is what fills up most of our lives. By learning to enjoy that part of things the most, we are naturally happier and feel more accomplished. Don't you think?

This weekend I plan on going back to doing some of the things around my new home here. I have lots of 'house projects' that I want to complete before the weather changes. I want to spend some time making our house a home and enjoying the newly acquired space we have. I will be filling orders and painting and drawing in between, but for a couple of days at least, I want to shift gears and do some more home decor projects. It will not only be fun, but make things more comfortable and attractive here where we live. I will certainly keep you posted on what I am up to!

Keith has also been working on some new projects and he wanted me to give a sneak peek of his latest scroll saw design:

Chair Table Wood Font Fawn


I guess those upcoming holidays are going to be on the "Fast Train" too and will be here before we know it. It is our job as designers to keep you all busy and happy with new designs for your own holiday gift giving and shows.

I thoroughly enjoyed every step of making the fun potion bottles. While in my head I have imagined perhaps 10 or more versions of potion bottles, I am learning to take it one design at a time and not try to rush through the process. One by one they will come to be. In the mean time, I know in my heart that I did my best presenting them and explaining how to recreate them. I hope you all appreciate that and enjoy it as well. :)

I wish you all a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Autumn is just around the corner. I hope you enjoy these final days of summer and take the 'slow train' to wherever you are heading. You won't regret it, I promise!

Happy Friday to you all!
Be warned, time doesn't catch the slow train. My problem is that I start to do something and on the way I see something else that needs done so I get sidetracked and it may be several days before I remember the first chore again.
 

Attachments

#12,803 ·
Finding that Balance . . .

It seems that I frequently mention in my blogs here the importance of finding balance. I think for most of us, it is something that is an ongoing quest. We have our work and responsibilities to fulfill, and we have our home and family obligations. Sometimes that doesn't leave much time for ourselves.

I am fortunate in that I truly love what I do. The saying "If you love what you do, you don't work a day in your life" is usually applicable, but there are still times when I would like to do other similar, no pressure things that I can do 'just because' at my own pace and without a time line.

Keith always says he can't see a difference between me doing "work" and doing what I do in my leisure. I suppose I don't expect that of anyone. For only we painters and other creative people can tell the difference of creating for joy and creating for work. It is something that can't be seen and is more of an attitude that we feel inside when we are just doing something for the joy of it and no other reason. It is what we hope our customers feel all of the time. For them, this is their 'down time' and their time to relax. Part of my job as a designer is to make sure that when they are working on my projects - be it painting or woodworking - they are not only enjoying themselves, but also feeling a sense of pride for what they accomplished.

Designers are no different. We also need to feel that sense of peace and joy when we are creating. Sometimes, when we are under too many deadlines, those wonderful feelings are tinged with a bit of anxiousness or even pressure. While some thrive on pressure (I am one who admittedly works better with deadlines) others find that they take too much joy out of doing what they enjoy and don't last very long at all as a designer. For most of us, it has been a long road to become established and make designing work for us, and many just don't have that patience. There are very few quality designers that I know of that were successful right out of the gate. Maybe that is a good thing though, as it is a natural way to sort those who are only doing it for profit from those who truly love their craft. I don't know . . .

The longer I am in the business of designing, the more important having some 'down time' is to me. I am often asked how I keep coming up with new and fresh ideas for my projects, and I actually have a very long list of things I want to create in the future. This list has been growing over the years and I find that I am at a point where I think of new ideas much quicker than I can implement them. That is really a good thing, because it not only means that I will be busy working as long as I wish, but also that I can pick and choose which projects I want to do next. That allows me to filter out the so-so projects from the ones that I feel are the best. It helps the cause in the long run.

For the past several months, I have been sharing my progress on two major projects that I have been working on that were not my own designs. The long-term project is the "12 Days of Christmas" ornament set by Lynne Andrews. I have allotted myself a year or so to complete six full sets of these very detailed ornaments, and I am on track for that (kind of!). My other short-term project was the Cinderella Mice Tiara project designed by Peggy Harris. It was a project that I knew I had to make from the moment I saw it.

It has sometimes been difficult to find time to work on these, as I always have my own work looming. Those many nameless project that are yet to be are sitting in the corner of my head just waiting for me to get moving on them. Yet - I feel the need to switch gears and do other things. Things that I didn't have to think of. Things that I am guided through by other designers. It allows me to not only feed my need to create, but removes the pressure of creating my own designs or patterns. Even though you can't see the difference from the outside, it is much more relaxing to do. I like them for my 'down time'.

Some may think it is not good business for me to focus so much of my time on creating other people's work. But I realize that without this time when I get to relax that part of my brain, my own work would certainly suffer. I would certainly be more overwhelmed than I am and I have no doubt that I would 'burn out', as many designers do. While financially it may be better for me to spend my 'creating time' only on creating new designs of my own, I feel that by spending a portion of my time creating other's patterns allows me to rest and replenish my creative energy, while still accomplishing. Not to mention that I also learn a lot from doing many different techniques. I am surprised that many other designers don't do this as well, as I rarely see others create things that aren't their own design. I suppose we all do what works for us.

With that said, I spent Friday evening finishing up my Cinderella Mice tiara for my grand daughter, Willow's third birthday.

Dishware Textile Sleeve Serveware Creative arts


The above photo is just a snapshot from my painting table, and I plan to take some better photos before I send it off to Willow. You can't see the delicate sparkles on her dress, the pumpkins and the leaves.

I am very pleased at how it turned out and I hope it will be something she will keep for a long time. I plan to follow along with the series (Snow White mouse will be introduced next spring!) and keep painting them for her as long as Peggy designs them. It was a very relaxed and enjoyable project, and I learned quite a few new techniques making it.

With that under my belt, on Sunday Keith invited me to take a short day trip out to Briar Island and Digby Neck. That is the string of land to the west of Nova Scotia. We haven't taken a trip there in a couple of years. We needed to take two ferries to get to Briar Island, and it was just a perfect day. When we arrived there, it was probably already about 4pm. We had a late start, but there was still plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful scenery. We sat on the rocks for a while and gazed out at the ocean:

Cloud Water Sky Highland Lake


There was a small lighthouse on an island between Long Island and Briar Island that was quiet and serene:

Water Cloud Sky Highland Natural landscape


I am fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. I need to sometimes remind myself that I have to take time out to enjoy it, or the seasons will pass us by.

This year with moving we have really not had many 'day trips' through our area. There was part of me that felt a bit guilty taking the day to drive around when I have so much work in front of me. But each morning I notice that it stays dark a bit longer, the days are cooler and summer is nearly at an end. If we don't take time off to enjoy our beautiful surroundings, then what are we doing all of this for?

Life is short and time is precious. Two things that I am realizing more as I get older and each year passes more quickly than the previous one. I had planned on working all day Monday cutting orders (out of guilt for taking Sunday 'off') but instead I spent the day painting my "12 Days" ornaments. It was somewhat hard for me to justify taking two days off in a row, but I felt it was the thing to do.

The world didn't stop spinning and the orders are here and ready to go. I only need to finish two of them up today, and they should ship out tomorrow. That one day won't make a life and death difference. But the time off certainly made a difference to me.

I am sure that I will continue with finding a balance between work and play. At my age, I am already programmed to do things a certain way and in a certain time frame. I don't regret that at all, but I do feel that sometimes I have to learn to RELAX and be flexible so that I can take a breath and enjoy my life and step out of the 'work mode' for a bit. Otherwise life will just pass me by.

Enjoy your Tuesday!
 

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#12,804 ·
Finding that Balance . . .

It seems that I frequently mention in my blogs here the importance of finding balance. I think for most of us, it is something that is an ongoing quest. We have our work and responsibilities to fulfill, and we have our home and family obligations. Sometimes that doesn't leave much time for ourselves.

I am fortunate in that I truly love what I do. The saying "If you love what you do, you don't work a day in your life" is usually applicable, but there are still times when I would like to do other similar, no pressure things that I can do 'just because' at my own pace and without a time line.

Keith always says he can't see a difference between me doing "work" and doing what I do in my leisure. I suppose I don't expect that of anyone. For only we painters and other creative people can tell the difference of creating for joy and creating for work. It is something that can't be seen and is more of an attitude that we feel inside when we are just doing something for the joy of it and no other reason. It is what we hope our customers feel all of the time. For them, this is their 'down time' and their time to relax. Part of my job as a designer is to make sure that when they are working on my projects - be it painting or woodworking - they are not only enjoying themselves, but also feeling a sense of pride for what they accomplished.

Designers are no different. We also need to feel that sense of peace and joy when we are creating. Sometimes, when we are under too many deadlines, those wonderful feelings are tinged with a bit of anxiousness or even pressure. While some thrive on pressure (I am one who admittedly works better with deadlines) others find that they take too much joy out of doing what they enjoy and don't last very long at all as a designer. For most of us, it has been a long road to become established and make designing work for us, and many just don't have that patience. There are very few quality designers that I know of that were successful right out of the gate. Maybe that is a good thing though, as it is a natural way to sort those who are only doing it for profit from those who truly love their craft. I don't know . . .

The longer I am in the business of designing, the more important having some 'down time' is to me. I am often asked how I keep coming up with new and fresh ideas for my projects, and I actually have a very long list of things I want to create in the future. This list has been growing over the years and I find that I am at a point where I think of new ideas much quicker than I can implement them. That is really a good thing, because it not only means that I will be busy working as long as I wish, but also that I can pick and choose which projects I want to do next. That allows me to filter out the so-so projects from the ones that I feel are the best. It helps the cause in the long run.

For the past several months, I have been sharing my progress on two major projects that I have been working on that were not my own designs. The long-term project is the "12 Days of Christmas" ornament set by Lynne Andrews. I have allotted myself a year or so to complete six full sets of these very detailed ornaments, and I am on track for that (kind of!). My other short-term project was the Cinderella Mice Tiara project designed by Peggy Harris. It was a project that I knew I had to make from the moment I saw it.

It has sometimes been difficult to find time to work on these, as I always have my own work looming. Those many nameless project that are yet to be are sitting in the corner of my head just waiting for me to get moving on them. Yet - I feel the need to switch gears and do other things. Things that I didn't have to think of. Things that I am guided through by other designers. It allows me to not only feed my need to create, but removes the pressure of creating my own designs or patterns. Even though you can't see the difference from the outside, it is much more relaxing to do. I like them for my 'down time'.

Some may think it is not good business for me to focus so much of my time on creating other people's work. But I realize that without this time when I get to relax that part of my brain, my own work would certainly suffer. I would certainly be more overwhelmed than I am and I have no doubt that I would 'burn out', as many designers do. While financially it may be better for me to spend my 'creating time' only on creating new designs of my own, I feel that by spending a portion of my time creating other's patterns allows me to rest and replenish my creative energy, while still accomplishing. Not to mention that I also learn a lot from doing many different techniques. I am surprised that many other designers don't do this as well, as I rarely see others create things that aren't their own design. I suppose we all do what works for us.

With that said, I spent Friday evening finishing up my Cinderella Mice tiara for my grand daughter, Willow's third birthday.

Dishware Textile Sleeve Serveware Creative arts


The above photo is just a snapshot from my painting table, and I plan to take some better photos before I send it off to Willow. You can't see the delicate sparkles on her dress, the pumpkins and the leaves.

I am very pleased at how it turned out and I hope it will be something she will keep for a long time. I plan to follow along with the series (Snow White mouse will be introduced next spring!) and keep painting them for her as long as Peggy designs them. It was a very relaxed and enjoyable project, and I learned quite a few new techniques making it.

With that under my belt, on Sunday Keith invited me to take a short day trip out to Briar Island and Digby Neck. That is the string of land to the west of Nova Scotia. We haven't taken a trip there in a couple of years. We needed to take two ferries to get to Briar Island, and it was just a perfect day. When we arrived there, it was probably already about 4pm. We had a late start, but there was still plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful scenery. We sat on the rocks for a while and gazed out at the ocean:

Cloud Water Sky Highland Lake


There was a small lighthouse on an island between Long Island and Briar Island that was quiet and serene:

Water Cloud Sky Highland Natural landscape


I am fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. I need to sometimes remind myself that I have to take time out to enjoy it, or the seasons will pass us by.

This year with moving we have really not had many 'day trips' through our area. There was part of me that felt a bit guilty taking the day to drive around when I have so much work in front of me. But each morning I notice that it stays dark a bit longer, the days are cooler and summer is nearly at an end. If we don't take time off to enjoy our beautiful surroundings, then what are we doing all of this for?

Life is short and time is precious. Two things that I am realizing more as I get older and each year passes more quickly than the previous one. I had planned on working all day Monday cutting orders (out of guilt for taking Sunday 'off') but instead I spent the day painting my "12 Days" ornaments. It was somewhat hard for me to justify taking two days off in a row, but I felt it was the thing to do.

The world didn't stop spinning and the orders are here and ready to go. I only need to finish two of them up today, and they should ship out tomorrow. That one day won't make a life and death difference. But the time off certainly made a difference to me.

I am sure that I will continue with finding a balance between work and play. At my age, I am already programmed to do things a certain way and in a certain time frame. I don't regret that at all, but I do feel that sometimes I have to learn to RELAX and be flexible so that I can take a breath and enjoy my life and step out of the 'work mode' for a bit. Otherwise life will just pass me by.

Enjoy your Tuesday!
It took me several days to read your post, a bit here and a bit there. As I am in Oregon volunteer working on a Youth camp there with a group of volunteers. Your project turned out very nice. It will be a cherished keepsake. I like your pictures of the water. We have a very nice lake here, camp, kids and water always go together. I enjoy the beauty of it and the sunsets most evenings. Another interesting thing here, the camp is on the pacific Coast trail and we have had up to 20 campers here most evenings. The ones coming through have started in April and have walked 2000 miles. Interesting stories. Big Lake Youth Camp.

Cloud Sky Water Atmosphere Ecoregion
 

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#12,806 ·
Site Update and Newsletter

This morning something occurred for the first time since moving to our new home. I awoke and it was still pitch dark outside.

I admit that I had a somewhat fitful night. I am not sure if it was the excitement of the day or thoughts of the days ahead or the warm humidity of the evening that was the cause. Maybe it was a bit of everything. Perhaps it is that I am feeling a bit more comfortable in our place here and things are (finally!) getting back to normal. I don't know.

I am on my second cup of coffee already and I may head for a third before I am done writing here. Already it is quite a bit lighter out and I noticed that it rained last night. Good. We needed that. While we have enjoyed a summer that has been pretty good for the most part weather-wise, it certainly was dry and there are stories of many who have had to refill their wells and were running out of water. Fortunately, that doesn't seem as if it will be a problem in our new place. But my heart is with those who do have issues, as well as the farmers in the area. It has been a tough go for them.

As we enter the second week of September already, I find myself somewhat sad because I know that autumn will come and go so quickly. Now isn't that a silly thing to be sad about? It hasn't even really arrived yet and I am already mourning its passing. I need to get myself out of that mindset. . .

Yesterday Keith and I took a big step in preparing for the upcoming winter. We bought a truck!

Wheel Tire Automotive parking light Vehicle Car


It isn't beautiful or glamorous, but we think it will do the job. With all the expenses of moving, it was in our budget and has a solid frame, 4 wheel drive, new tires and should be able to get us around in the snow. It is also an automatic transmission which means that I will be able to take it on my own if need be. That will be awesome. Soon we will be tucking away our summer cars for the winter and it will be wonderful to have a sturdy vehicle to drive. Not only that - it will be able to haul our wood and supplies easily without having to worry about ruining our nice cars. It is a good thing.

Little by little we are settling into our new place. I still feel a bit anxious though. While we did accomplish a lot in the way of organizing and finding a place for everything here, there are still many (many!) projects that I want and need to do. I must admit that I am feeling a bit overwhelmed these days. As the days get shorter, I know that time is marching on and will not wait for me to get my act together. There is just so much I want to do. Not only with the house, but also with my design work. The logical part of me knows that I need to take a breath, prioritize and RELAX and just do what I can. Worrying about things won't make them happen any faster or things better. I need to remember to take time for myself and not worry about the things that don't get done. It will all come together in the end. (Now if I can really convince myself of that!)

In between planning and organizing, we have actually been doing a bit of work. We have updated the website as we complete new projects and today I am writing and sending out a newsletter to our customers announcing our new items. So all is well there. I will give a bit of a preview here for those who don't get the newsletter. . .

Keith has two new projects since our last update. His first is a new set of large filigree ornaments (SLDK685)

Font Art Badge Emblem Circle


I think these are really beautiful and delicate and although they may be a bit of a challenge to cut, they will be something that will be very popular for the upcoming holiday season.

He also created this lovely Sleigh and Reindeer Mantle Clock (SLDK686):

Brown Wood Rectangle Clock Quartz clock


I really loved this project myself. I think the overlay houses and the Santa and reindeer figures look wonderful! I hope everyone does as well.

We also changed our "Special Bundle Offer" on the site. This time we decided to put together five of our most popular sets of Southwestern themed ornaments:

Organism Font Pattern Art Symmetry


We love doing these 'bundles' and we find that our customers love them as well. This set gives a variety of 53 ornaments in one large set. We think they will all go together nicely and would make a nice presentation as a group. It is a nice way to introduce some of our older patterns to the many new scrollers that have recently joined our mailing list.

As for my own new projects, this time I have mostly new surfaces to offer my painting followers. I have three sizes of Potion Bottles - just in time for Halloween:

Product Neck Sleeve Gesture Font


I created them to go along with my new project for ToleTown - (SLDP152 - Mermaid Tears).

Fluid Font Aqua Liquid Handwriting


The bottles come in three sizes - Small - 4" tall (SLDPK154), Medium - 6"tall (SLDPK153), and Large - 10" tall (SLDPK152). I have several other shapes on the drawing board and will offer them as well when I get them painted. These are not only great for the project shown, but also can be used to make your own designs.

I am also offering some the pretty shell embellishments to add onto the bottles (EMB12) which can be used for just about anything.

The other new surfaces that I am now carrying go along with some of Peggy Harris' designs. I have her SLDPK146 Crown Painting Surface from her Cinderella Mice pattern:

Gesture Font Line Wood Art


And finally, I am carrying her pattern and kit for her adorable Halloween "Boo Bunnies" (SLDPK150):

Cartoon Stuffed toy Font Plush Event


The Boo Bunny instructions are now available using DecoArt Americana Acrylics and I have a special "Combo Pack" for the pattern and kit available as well.

They are a fun and easy project that takes very little time to paint.

I am really happy to be working with so many respected artists and carrying their designs and wood pieces. It does keep me quite busy though and it gives me some time at the scroll saw. I find that I truly enjoy my cutting days and filling those orders.

As I mentioned earlier, I need to prepare a newsletter to be mailed out today. After that, I may take some time to do some things around the house here. I still have some organization to do in my studio and I need to take some time with that. Then on to my new designs.

There is so much that I want to accomplish these days! I have to learn not to allow my thoughts to overwhelm me and to take things one at a time. Otherwise, it can be a bit unsettling.

I wish everyone a very happy and productive Thursday. I hope you enjoy your day and accomplish what you set out to do. The weekend is right around the corner.
 

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#12,807 ·
Site Update and Newsletter

This morning something occurred for the first time since moving to our new home. I awoke and it was still pitch dark outside.

I admit that I had a somewhat fitful night. I am not sure if it was the excitement of the day or thoughts of the days ahead or the warm humidity of the evening that was the cause. Maybe it was a bit of everything. Perhaps it is that I am feeling a bit more comfortable in our place here and things are (finally!) getting back to normal. I don't know.

I am on my second cup of coffee already and I may head for a third before I am done writing here. Already it is quite a bit lighter out and I noticed that it rained last night. Good. We needed that. While we have enjoyed a summer that has been pretty good for the most part weather-wise, it certainly was dry and there are stories of many who have had to refill their wells and were running out of water. Fortunately, that doesn't seem as if it will be a problem in our new place. But my heart is with those who do have issues, as well as the farmers in the area. It has been a tough go for them.

As we enter the second week of September already, I find myself somewhat sad because I know that autumn will come and go so quickly. Now isn't that a silly thing to be sad about? It hasn't even really arrived yet and I am already mourning its passing. I need to get myself out of that mindset. . .

Yesterday Keith and I took a big step in preparing for the upcoming winter. We bought a truck!

Wheel Tire Automotive parking light Vehicle Car


It isn't beautiful or glamorous, but we think it will do the job. With all the expenses of moving, it was in our budget and has a solid frame, 4 wheel drive, new tires and should be able to get us around in the snow. It is also an automatic transmission which means that I will be able to take it on my own if need be. That will be awesome. Soon we will be tucking away our summer cars for the winter and it will be wonderful to have a sturdy vehicle to drive. Not only that - it will be able to haul our wood and supplies easily without having to worry about ruining our nice cars. It is a good thing.

Little by little we are settling into our new place. I still feel a bit anxious though. While we did accomplish a lot in the way of organizing and finding a place for everything here, there are still many (many!) projects that I want and need to do. I must admit that I am feeling a bit overwhelmed these days. As the days get shorter, I know that time is marching on and will not wait for me to get my act together. There is just so much I want to do. Not only with the house, but also with my design work. The logical part of me knows that I need to take a breath, prioritize and RELAX and just do what I can. Worrying about things won't make them happen any faster or things better. I need to remember to take time for myself and not worry about the things that don't get done. It will all come together in the end. (Now if I can really convince myself of that!)

In between planning and organizing, we have actually been doing a bit of work. We have updated the website as we complete new projects and today I am writing and sending out a newsletter to our customers announcing our new items. So all is well there. I will give a bit of a preview here for those who don't get the newsletter. . .

Keith has two new projects since our last update. His first is a new set of large filigree ornaments (SLDK685)

Font Art Badge Emblem Circle


I think these are really beautiful and delicate and although they may be a bit of a challenge to cut, they will be something that will be very popular for the upcoming holiday season.

He also created this lovely Sleigh and Reindeer Mantle Clock (SLDK686):

Brown Wood Rectangle Clock Quartz clock


I really loved this project myself. I think the overlay houses and the Santa and reindeer figures look wonderful! I hope everyone does as well.

We also changed our "Special Bundle Offer" on the site. This time we decided to put together five of our most popular sets of Southwestern themed ornaments:

Organism Font Pattern Art Symmetry


We love doing these 'bundles' and we find that our customers love them as well. This set gives a variety of 53 ornaments in one large set. We think they will all go together nicely and would make a nice presentation as a group. It is a nice way to introduce some of our older patterns to the many new scrollers that have recently joined our mailing list.

As for my own new projects, this time I have mostly new surfaces to offer my painting followers. I have three sizes of Potion Bottles - just in time for Halloween:

Product Neck Sleeve Gesture Font


I created them to go along with my new project for ToleTown - (SLDP152 - Mermaid Tears).

Fluid Font Aqua Liquid Handwriting


The bottles come in three sizes - Small - 4" tall (SLDPK154), Medium - 6"tall (SLDPK153), and Large - 10" tall (SLDPK152). I have several other shapes on the drawing board and will offer them as well when I get them painted. These are not only great for the project shown, but also can be used to make your own designs.

I am also offering some the pretty shell embellishments to add onto the bottles (EMB12) which can be used for just about anything.

The other new surfaces that I am now carrying go along with some of Peggy Harris' designs. I have her SLDPK146 Crown Painting Surface from her Cinderella Mice pattern:

Gesture Font Line Wood Art


And finally, I am carrying her pattern and kit for her adorable Halloween "Boo Bunnies" (SLDPK150):

Cartoon Stuffed toy Font Plush Event


The Boo Bunny instructions are now available using DecoArt Americana Acrylics and I have a special "Combo Pack" for the pattern and kit available as well.

They are a fun and easy project that takes very little time to paint.

I am really happy to be working with so many respected artists and carrying their designs and wood pieces. It does keep me quite busy though and it gives me some time at the scroll saw. I find that I truly enjoy my cutting days and filling those orders.

As I mentioned earlier, I need to prepare a newsletter to be mailed out today. After that, I may take some time to do some things around the house here. I still have some organization to do in my studio and I need to take some time with that. Then on to my new designs.

There is so much that I want to accomplish these days! I have to learn not to allow my thoughts to overwhelm me and to take things one at a time. Otherwise, it can be a bit unsettling.

I wish everyone a very happy and productive Thursday. I hope you enjoy your day and accomplish what you set out to do. The weekend is right around the corner.
Winter…. I will not get home till almost 2nd week into October. We will put studded winter tires on our car then, and get the firewood stacked at house quickly. The building projects is coming along quite well, tired by the end of the day. Had the day off yesterday and went and seen some waterfalls. Your projects look really grand….

Water Water resources Ecoregion Natural landscape Plant
 

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#12,809 ·
Odds and Ends

We all that those 'little things' that we want to finish up in our lives. I think you may know what I mean - those 'extra' projects around the house that we may have put off for some reason. They range from things that take five minutes to others that take five or more hours or even days. It seems that we all have them and they are put on the 'back burners' of our lives until we decide that it is time to actually do them.

Since we moved into our new home in June, my list of these types of projects has been long. We took the first five or six weeks after moving to clean, organize and work toward making out new place our "home". But then life got in the way and we realized that we had to get back to working. While we accomplished quite a bit, I feel as if there is still quite a way to go until I am happy with things. There are still so many "odds and ends" that I wish to work on and get finished. But there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything, it seems.

We are already approaching the middle of September. It is hard to believe that in a few short weeks we will be officially in the autumn season. With that comes cooler days and the ice and snow that winter brings. Most of my time will be spent indoors, and I am sure I will have a productive winter, checking things off of my 'to do' list as time permits.

However, there was one project in particular that I wanted to have finished before the seasons changed. I knew this would require me to do most of it outdoors, and I knew that my days to do it were numbered. When I awoke on Saturday to a day that was warm, sunny and calm I knew I needed to take the opportunity to dive into this project. The clock was ticking and days such as this would not be here much longer. Besides - we just finished a site update and I was 'in-between' my projects and deadlines. It was a perfect time to take a day to get this project done. I felt it was time.

As many of you have seen, In my new home I have a room that I call my "studio". I worked hard to think through this space, and so far for these couple of months I have come to love it and practically live in here. It is not only my workplace, but also a wonderful place to store the vast array of supplies that I use for my work and crafting.

Furniture Comfort Building Bed frame Table


A main part of the studio was purchasing a daybed with a trundle underneath. The trundle is rated to store 300 lbs, and instead of purchasing another mattress, I decided to use it to store much of my paint:

Furniture Property White Couch Cabinetry


This has worked out beautifully, and has been most handy for me so far. Everything is easy to access and I can easily see the many colors and many types of paint that I use in my daily design work. It couldn't be more handy or efficient. I just love it.

But what I still need to do is to make a cover for the daybed to make it look more like a seat instead of a bed. I want the room to be cozy and attractive while still being functional. While the Pusheen throw pillows and pillow is cute, I wanted something a bit less 'casual' and more 'office-like' to complete the look. (Why does it matter? Because I am "me"!) I just think that it will really make the room look more like a working, functional area rather than a sleeping place.That is important to me because I will be spending a lot of time there, and so will my visitors. I want it to look nice.

So what I decided to do was to make a cover not only for the mattress, but also the small bench under the window. I had made the blue cushion for that several years ago, and it looks really nice. But I wanted something a bit brighter, in colors that would complement not only the rest of my room, but also be able to take on many different moods and styles as I design new things and want to display them.

I must have looked at over 5000 fabric swatches trying to decide on a fabric. I wanted something sturdy enough to withstand daily use, yet the pattern had to be something that would compliment many styles. I began looking at cotton twill, but of the hundreds and hundreds of patterns that I came across, nothing was what I felt suitable. I even sent away for some samples of about 10 beautiful cotton twill fabric swatches which had pale pink designs on them. At first I wanted something along that line, as I wanted softer color that would be feminine and versatile. While I loved most of the designs I had chosen, before ordering them I came to the realization that I would be boxed into a 'pink' room for a long, long time. What if I didn't want pink for years and years? What about purple, green, or my very favorite - aqua?

I then got the idea to use a multi-color fabric. That way, no matter what 'mood' I was in, I would be able to transition the room easily. The search was on and I tried to find something that resembled the picture of the fabric that I had in my head. I wanted a washy, watercolor look where the colors bled into each other. I thought it would look very "artsy" and appropriate for a studio room.

But after hours and hours of searching and looking at literally thousands of fabric pieces, I couldn't find what I saw in my head. Either the colors was too strong or there were basic colors missing from the designs. I saw pretty samples of all blue tones or all pink tones, but that would keep me in the same dilemma that I began with. I knew that I would tire of one color and then I would be 'stuck' for who knows how long until I made the covers again. I didn't want to risk that.

Finally, after many days of searching, I came to the conclusion that the only way to get things how I wanted, I would need to dye the fabric myself. I knew that I had a lot on my plate already, but I also knew that it would be the only way that I would be completely happy with my fabric choice.

To make a long story short, that all happened a couple of months ago. Since then, I purchased nine years of beautiful, upholstery-weight white linen as well as some Jacquard Dy-Na-Flow dyes. I had used these dyes for dying some of the pretty silk ribbon I have for my embroidery with success and thought about how I would need to do it on a grand scale to dye this quantity of fabric how I envisioned.

I began by purchasing the 8 oz bottles of the dyes.

Liquid Fluid Handwriting Material property Bottle


As you can see, the color is very intense. I wanted a much softer look, so I knew I would need to use a great deal of water with them. I purchased six colors and also six spray bottles from the dollar store. I poured only about a quarter of an inch of the dye into the bottom of the bottle:

Hand Liquid Drinkware Cosmetics Bottle


This was done with each of the six colors:

Bottle Liquid Product Bottle cap Purple


I then filled each bottle to the top with water:

Liquid Bottle Solution Drinkware Fluid


I just kind of 'eyeballed' it and didn't feel that I needed to measure exactly.

Liquid Fluid Drinkware Plastic bottle Electric blue


Now it was time to move outside. I purchased a large drop cloth that was waterproof and placed it on the ground. I weighted the corners with some logs we had laying around the back:

Plant community Plant Rectangle Vegetation Grass


I then rough cut the fabric into three large pieces - One for the cushion for the small bench and the other two for the top and bottom of the daybed mattress cover. I hung them on the clothes line dry and used the hose to wet them down thoroughly:

Plant Rectangle Chair Grass Wood


I allowed the excess water to drip off of the fabric, and then I took it down from the clothesline and placed it on the drop cloth. I didn't have to weigh it down, even though there was a breeze because the water kind of 'stuck' it to the tarp.

I then proceeded to use the six colors to spray the dye randomly, allowing the colors to 'bleed' into each other on the damp fabric.

Sleeve Pink Creative arts Dye Undergarment


I was thrilled with the result! Even if there were edges from the colors were a bit harsh, within a couple of minutes, the water from the fabric 'bled' them into each other for beautiful, soft transitions.

Purple Textile Paint Grey Art


I allowed the fabric sit in the sun a bit in order to dry a little bit. I then peeled it off of the tarp and hung it once again on the clothes line to dry. I didn't want to do this too soon because I didn't want the colors to 'run'. They needed to be dry enough so that they would not drip. This was not an issue on such a warm and breezy day. Leaving the pieces for about half an hour did well.

I repeated this process for each of the three large pieces of fabric.

I then had to heat-set the dye, which took longer than the actual dying process. I found out (after the fact) that there is a chemical you can add to the dye so you don't have to heat set it, but since I already did the process, I had to take the time to iron each piece with a hot iron to set the dye. This actually took several hours, as I needed to make sure that the high temperature was reached on every single section. There was no quick way around it, so I put on some shows and just took the time to do it correctly.

I don't know when I will get to the actual sewing of the pieces. Hopefully within the next week or so. I am still deciding on the style of the cover I want to make. I find it best that when I am undecided about something like that, to take my time and think it through. That way no mistakes will be made.

I finished up some other things as well over the weekend, and cut several orders. But this post is long enough and I will talk about them later on in the week.

I thought you would all be interested in this process and some of you may like to try it yourself. It was really fun and it did turn out beautifully! I am happy that I went to the trouble to give it a go.

Happy Monday to you all! I hope you have a great week ahead.
 

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#12,810 ·
Odds and Ends

We all that those 'little things' that we want to finish up in our lives. I think you may know what I mean - those 'extra' projects around the house that we may have put off for some reason. They range from things that take five minutes to others that take five or more hours or even days. It seems that we all have them and they are put on the 'back burners' of our lives until we decide that it is time to actually do them.

Since we moved into our new home in June, my list of these types of projects has been long. We took the first five or six weeks after moving to clean, organize and work toward making out new place our "home". But then life got in the way and we realized that we had to get back to working. While we accomplished quite a bit, I feel as if there is still quite a way to go until I am happy with things. There are still so many "odds and ends" that I wish to work on and get finished. But there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything, it seems.

We are already approaching the middle of September. It is hard to believe that in a few short weeks we will be officially in the autumn season. With that comes cooler days and the ice and snow that winter brings. Most of my time will be spent indoors, and I am sure I will have a productive winter, checking things off of my 'to do' list as time permits.

However, there was one project in particular that I wanted to have finished before the seasons changed. I knew this would require me to do most of it outdoors, and I knew that my days to do it were numbered. When I awoke on Saturday to a day that was warm, sunny and calm I knew I needed to take the opportunity to dive into this project. The clock was ticking and days such as this would not be here much longer. Besides - we just finished a site update and I was 'in-between' my projects and deadlines. It was a perfect time to take a day to get this project done. I felt it was time.

As many of you have seen, In my new home I have a room that I call my "studio". I worked hard to think through this space, and so far for these couple of months I have come to love it and practically live in here. It is not only my workplace, but also a wonderful place to store the vast array of supplies that I use for my work and crafting.

Furniture Comfort Building Bed frame Table


A main part of the studio was purchasing a daybed with a trundle underneath. The trundle is rated to store 300 lbs, and instead of purchasing another mattress, I decided to use it to store much of my paint:

Furniture Property White Couch Cabinetry


This has worked out beautifully, and has been most handy for me so far. Everything is easy to access and I can easily see the many colors and many types of paint that I use in my daily design work. It couldn't be more handy or efficient. I just love it.

But what I still need to do is to make a cover for the daybed to make it look more like a seat instead of a bed. I want the room to be cozy and attractive while still being functional. While the Pusheen throw pillows and pillow is cute, I wanted something a bit less 'casual' and more 'office-like' to complete the look. (Why does it matter? Because I am "me"!) I just think that it will really make the room look more like a working, functional area rather than a sleeping place.That is important to me because I will be spending a lot of time there, and so will my visitors. I want it to look nice.

So what I decided to do was to make a cover not only for the mattress, but also the small bench under the window. I had made the blue cushion for that several years ago, and it looks really nice. But I wanted something a bit brighter, in colors that would complement not only the rest of my room, but also be able to take on many different moods and styles as I design new things and want to display them.

I must have looked at over 5000 fabric swatches trying to decide on a fabric. I wanted something sturdy enough to withstand daily use, yet the pattern had to be something that would compliment many styles. I began looking at cotton twill, but of the hundreds and hundreds of patterns that I came across, nothing was what I felt suitable. I even sent away for some samples of about 10 beautiful cotton twill fabric swatches which had pale pink designs on them. At first I wanted something along that line, as I wanted softer color that would be feminine and versatile. While I loved most of the designs I had chosen, before ordering them I came to the realization that I would be boxed into a 'pink' room for a long, long time. What if I didn't want pink for years and years? What about purple, green, or my very favorite - aqua?

I then got the idea to use a multi-color fabric. That way, no matter what 'mood' I was in, I would be able to transition the room easily. The search was on and I tried to find something that resembled the picture of the fabric that I had in my head. I wanted a washy, watercolor look where the colors bled into each other. I thought it would look very "artsy" and appropriate for a studio room.

But after hours and hours of searching and looking at literally thousands of fabric pieces, I couldn't find what I saw in my head. Either the colors was too strong or there were basic colors missing from the designs. I saw pretty samples of all blue tones or all pink tones, but that would keep me in the same dilemma that I began with. I knew that I would tire of one color and then I would be 'stuck' for who knows how long until I made the covers again. I didn't want to risk that.

Finally, after many days of searching, I came to the conclusion that the only way to get things how I wanted, I would need to dye the fabric myself. I knew that I had a lot on my plate already, but I also knew that it would be the only way that I would be completely happy with my fabric choice.

To make a long story short, that all happened a couple of months ago. Since then, I purchased nine years of beautiful, upholstery-weight white linen as well as some Jacquard Dy-Na-Flow dyes. I had used these dyes for dying some of the pretty silk ribbon I have for my embroidery with success and thought about how I would need to do it on a grand scale to dye this quantity of fabric how I envisioned.

I began by purchasing the 8 oz bottles of the dyes.

Liquid Fluid Handwriting Material property Bottle


As you can see, the color is very intense. I wanted a much softer look, so I knew I would need to use a great deal of water with them. I purchased six colors and also six spray bottles from the dollar store. I poured only about a quarter of an inch of the dye into the bottom of the bottle:

Hand Liquid Drinkware Cosmetics Bottle


This was done with each of the six colors:

Bottle Liquid Product Bottle cap Purple


I then filled each bottle to the top with water:

Liquid Bottle Solution Drinkware Fluid


I just kind of 'eyeballed' it and didn't feel that I needed to measure exactly.

Liquid Fluid Drinkware Plastic bottle Electric blue


Now it was time to move outside. I purchased a large drop cloth that was waterproof and placed it on the ground. I weighted the corners with some logs we had laying around the back:

Plant community Plant Rectangle Vegetation Grass


I then rough cut the fabric into three large pieces - One for the cushion for the small bench and the other two for the top and bottom of the daybed mattress cover. I hung them on the clothes line dry and used the hose to wet them down thoroughly:

Plant Rectangle Chair Grass Wood


I allowed the excess water to drip off of the fabric, and then I took it down from the clothesline and placed it on the drop cloth. I didn't have to weigh it down, even though there was a breeze because the water kind of 'stuck' it to the tarp.

I then proceeded to use the six colors to spray the dye randomly, allowing the colors to 'bleed' into each other on the damp fabric.

Sleeve Pink Creative arts Dye Undergarment


I was thrilled with the result! Even if there were edges from the colors were a bit harsh, within a couple of minutes, the water from the fabric 'bled' them into each other for beautiful, soft transitions.

Purple Textile Paint Grey Art


I allowed the fabric sit in the sun a bit in order to dry a little bit. I then peeled it off of the tarp and hung it once again on the clothes line to dry. I didn't want to do this too soon because I didn't want the colors to 'run'. They needed to be dry enough so that they would not drip. This was not an issue on such a warm and breezy day. Leaving the pieces for about half an hour did well.

I repeated this process for each of the three large pieces of fabric.

I then had to heat-set the dye, which took longer than the actual dying process. I found out (after the fact) that there is a chemical you can add to the dye so you don't have to heat set it, but since I already did the process, I had to take the time to iron each piece with a hot iron to set the dye. This actually took several hours, as I needed to make sure that the high temperature was reached on every single section. There was no quick way around it, so I put on some shows and just took the time to do it correctly.

I don't know when I will get to the actual sewing of the pieces. Hopefully within the next week or so. I am still deciding on the style of the cover I want to make. I find it best that when I am undecided about something like that, to take my time and think it through. That way no mistakes will be made.

I finished up some other things as well over the weekend, and cut several orders. But this post is long enough and I will talk about them later on in the week.

I thought you would all be interested in this process and some of you may like to try it yourself. It was really fun and it did turn out beautifully! I am happy that I went to the trouble to give it a go.

Happy Monday to you all! I hope you have a great week ahead.
to be honest, i was quite scared of what you were going to do with all of those bright colors, then when i saw how it turned out, it reminded me of the dye tied shirts from my hippy days, and saw that you did a great job , the pink really had me spooked, but it looks great, not that it matters what i think, but what you think, I'm glad for you that you like it, i was wondering if you could run it in the dryer on the hot setting, or does it need to be hotter than that…i was wondering if the kitties like the day bed…are they doing well, how is Richard with his eating , i think it was him who you have to give a different food too…I'm so happy for you that you now have a larger home so you can spread your wings and make the place yours and Keith's…have a great week….
 

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#12,814 ·
"Finished"

It is always a thrill to finish up a project. Whether it is a project that I designed, or one that I did that was created by someone else, I always feel a wonderful sense of satisfaction when I finally call it "done".

As most of you who read know, I am usually working on several things at once. I design my own projects, but at the same time I try to squeeze in some projects that were created by other artists that I admire. Like most of you, I am addicted to creating and when I see something that catches my eye, there are times when I just HAVE to find time to make it.

As artists, we aren't really very keen on the concept of 'time'. I notice that most of my artist friends have the same affliction that I do. (This pertains to YOU as well, my scrolling and woodworking friends!) We all have plans of fitting probably at least twice as many projects into a time frame than physics would allow, with the runoff being put on the back burner until 'next year'. I think it comes with the territory.

I don't think this is a bad thing, as it keeps us motivated and moving in a forward direction. As for myself, there are probably ten things that I would be working on at once if I had the time. I am sure that Keith can attest to the fact that my ambition usually exceeds my ability, and try as I may, I can't always get everything done in time. But I try. . .

Yesterday I did the final photography on two of the projects that I have been working on these past few weeks. While I showed the Peggy Harris Cinderella Mice project as "done" last week sometime, I still had to paint the back, glue on the backboard and spray on the finish. I then wanted to take some 'presentation photos' for my own portfolio before sending it off to my grand daughter.

I also was able to finish up my "Day 7" ornaments from the "12 Days of Christmas" set designed by Lynne Andrews. As always, I was in awe at how wonderful the set is shaping up. With each ornament, I gain new enthusiasm and I am getting to the point where I can't wait to finish. Even though I am a bit behind in creating them, I know I will catch up and finish them for my recipients by this Christmas. Failing to do so is not an option!

While I was applying the crystal rhinestones to my "Day 7" ornaments, I made the decision that the Cinderella Mice project could use a few as well. I just couldn't help myself. So I added some tiny 2mm rhinestones to the clock, Cindy's dress, shoes and tiara, and the Prince's shoes and medallion. I think it added just enough glimmer to really make this piece special. I hope you all agree.

So here are the final photos of the two projects . . .

The Cinderella Mouse Tiara:

Sleeve Dishware Umbrella Creative arts Serveware


You can see the tiny rhinestones on her tiara, dress, shoes and the chandelier . . .

Vertebrate Plant Creative arts Dishware Art


I am thrilled with this lovely, lovely piece! Thank you. Peggy for a great project!

Vertebrate Textile Rabbit Mammal Cartoon


The pattern and tiara surface is available on Peggy's Facebook Page (link above) and I am selling the tiara surface only on my site here: SLDPK146

And here is the photo of one of my "Day 7" Ornaments from my "12 Days of Christmas" project:

Badge Emblem Oval Font Symbol


From this angle, you can see the beautiful shimmer from the rhinestone berries and the JoSonja's Opal Dust that is on them:

Badge Font Symbol Circle Fashion accessory


And remember - I am painting SIX sets of each ornament - Five to give and one to keep for myself:

Dishware Body jewelry Badge Font Circle


Here is my own set so far . . .

Tableware Dishware Serveware Souvenir Circle


Aren't they just amazing??? I love them so much. Each time I add to the set, I can't wait to get started on the next one. I will be packing my other five up and shipping them out today. :)

If you are inclined to paint these ornaments yourself, we have a support group on Facebook where we are all doing this wonderful project "together". There is no pressure in the group and whether you are doing one set or 10 sets, we are there to cheer each other on. There is no time limit either, so there is no pressure. You can reach the group here:

12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We are Making Them!

You can get the pattern from Lynne on her site. She had an entire book devoted to this project she calls "Christmas Blessings".

And you can get the ornament surfaces from me on my site here: SLDPK129 - Elegant Bevel Cut Ornaments.

Today I am working on a new project with another friend of mine who is an excellent designer. She has come up with a great project series and asked me to provide the wood pieces for her. I am very flattered and thrilled. It is going to be a fun and cool project, I promise. I will show more of is as it is a little more developed, but I don't think you will be disappointed.

I will also be thinking ahead to my own next designs that I am creating for both painting and the scroll saw. It is a busy time of year and as always, I have plenty to do.

I hope you all have a great day and enjoy these "Final" photos. I don't think they do the projects justice though. They are even more amazing in person.

Tableware Dishware Serveware Porcelain Ceramic


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

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#12,815 ·
"Finished"

It is always a thrill to finish up a project. Whether it is a project that I designed, or one that I did that was created by someone else, I always feel a wonderful sense of satisfaction when I finally call it "done".

As most of you who read know, I am usually working on several things at once. I design my own projects, but at the same time I try to squeeze in some projects that were created by other artists that I admire. Like most of you, I am addicted to creating and when I see something that catches my eye, there are times when I just HAVE to find time to make it.

As artists, we aren't really very keen on the concept of 'time'. I notice that most of my artist friends have the same affliction that I do. (This pertains to YOU as well, my scrolling and woodworking friends!) We all have plans of fitting probably at least twice as many projects into a time frame than physics would allow, with the runoff being put on the back burner until 'next year'. I think it comes with the territory.

I don't think this is a bad thing, as it keeps us motivated and moving in a forward direction. As for myself, there are probably ten things that I would be working on at once if I had the time. I am sure that Keith can attest to the fact that my ambition usually exceeds my ability, and try as I may, I can't always get everything done in time. But I try. . .

Yesterday I did the final photography on two of the projects that I have been working on these past few weeks. While I showed the Peggy Harris Cinderella Mice project as "done" last week sometime, I still had to paint the back, glue on the backboard and spray on the finish. I then wanted to take some 'presentation photos' for my own portfolio before sending it off to my grand daughter.

I also was able to finish up my "Day 7" ornaments from the "12 Days of Christmas" set designed by Lynne Andrews. As always, I was in awe at how wonderful the set is shaping up. With each ornament, I gain new enthusiasm and I am getting to the point where I can't wait to finish. Even though I am a bit behind in creating them, I know I will catch up and finish them for my recipients by this Christmas. Failing to do so is not an option!

While I was applying the crystal rhinestones to my "Day 7" ornaments, I made the decision that the Cinderella Mice project could use a few as well. I just couldn't help myself. So I added some tiny 2mm rhinestones to the clock, Cindy's dress, shoes and tiara, and the Prince's shoes and medallion. I think it added just enough glimmer to really make this piece special. I hope you all agree.

So here are the final photos of the two projects . . .

The Cinderella Mouse Tiara:

Sleeve Dishware Umbrella Creative arts Serveware


You can see the tiny rhinestones on her tiara, dress, shoes and the chandelier . . .

Vertebrate Plant Creative arts Dishware Art


I am thrilled with this lovely, lovely piece! Thank you. Peggy for a great project!

Vertebrate Textile Rabbit Mammal Cartoon


The pattern and tiara surface is available on Peggy's Facebook Page (link above) and I am selling the tiara surface only on my site here: SLDPK146

And here is the photo of one of my "Day 7" Ornaments from my "12 Days of Christmas" project:

Badge Emblem Oval Font Symbol


From this angle, you can see the beautiful shimmer from the rhinestone berries and the JoSonja's Opal Dust that is on them:

Badge Font Symbol Circle Fashion accessory


And remember - I am painting SIX sets of each ornament - Five to give and one to keep for myself:

Dishware Body jewelry Badge Font Circle


Here is my own set so far . . .

Tableware Dishware Serveware Souvenir Circle


Aren't they just amazing??? I love them so much. Each time I add to the set, I can't wait to get started on the next one. I will be packing my other five up and shipping them out today. :)

If you are inclined to paint these ornaments yourself, we have a support group on Facebook where we are all doing this wonderful project "together". There is no pressure in the group and whether you are doing one set or 10 sets, we are there to cheer each other on. There is no time limit either, so there is no pressure. You can reach the group here:

12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We are Making Them!

You can get the pattern from Lynne on her site. She had an entire book devoted to this project she calls "Christmas Blessings".

And you can get the ornament surfaces from me on my site here: SLDPK129 - Elegant Bevel Cut Ornaments.

Today I am working on a new project with another friend of mine who is an excellent designer. She has come up with a great project series and asked me to provide the wood pieces for her. I am very flattered and thrilled. It is going to be a fun and cool project, I promise. I will show more of is as it is a little more developed, but I don't think you will be disappointed.

I will also be thinking ahead to my own next designs that I am creating for both painting and the scroll saw. It is a busy time of year and as always, I have plenty to do.

I hope you all have a great day and enjoy these "Final" photos. I don't think they do the projects justice though. They are even more amazing in person.

Tableware Dishware Serveware Porcelain Ceramic


I wish you all a wonderful day. Happy Tuesday to you all!
Your projects are beautiful. The tiara was just begging for rhinestones to finish it off. :) Willow will love it.
 

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#12,820 ·
#1776 Meow, Meow, Boo (Part 1)

Some of you may have noticed that I have been a bit 'unsettled' lately. While I have been keeping my self busy, I have felt as if I haven't been making much headway in several areas. Maybe the term 'overwhelmed' is a bit more fitting.

I have never been one to make excuses for myself. I learned at an early age that it is better to own up to the things you did or didn't do and then move on from there. To me, the consequences of thinking about things were far worse than the actual result most of the time. Of course, I don't ever remember doing anything hideous. But I am talking about things like not doing my chores or missing a homework assignment - things that are somewhat benign. Many times it was my own guilt that impacted me much more than any punishment that was handed out. I knew I should be doing something, but didn't get it done.

It has been nearly three months since we moved to our new home. It is hard to believe that it has even been that long, but the summer has passed quickly and even though it seems as if we have been busy just about every minute of every single day, I still feel a bit 'behind' in things. I wonder if it is because I am a bit older since the last time I moved and not as resilient. I also wonder if I went through the same feeling of uneasiness as I settled in and just kind of blocked it out of my mind. After all, I was at a different place in my life the last time I moved and never has my business been so successful. I can see how missing days or even weeks back then wouldn't be as noticed as it is today. In the big picture, that is a good thing, right?

Perhaps it seems like our move is so traumatic because I am not considering the time leading up to the actual moving day. We found our new place approximately three months before we actually were able to move in, and those three months were filled with planning and excitement and lots of distractions from work..

Don't get me wrong - everything that we went through was purposeful and necessary. It is just that it has taken time away from my designing. But something has to give I suppose.

So now we are at the six month mark since we found out place here. It is wonderful, spacious and a much better environment for creating and living. We are all happy we are here and even now at this early stage of the game I look back and wonder how we survived as long as we did in our small apartment and were still able to produce and be functional. But we did. And I am sure that after a bit more time, we will settle in and be more comfortable and be able to do so here as well.

In the meantime I suppose I need to be patient with myself. Before we decided to move, we were like a train heading full speed to our destination. Designs were coming quickly as well as the production work, and everything was growing almost just as fast as we could create. But as our moving day came closer, our focus (rightfully) turned to our new home and the actual moving. For some reason, this was so much larger than I thought it would be. Even though I moved from Chicago to Nova Scotia several years ago, this seemed bigger. Perhaps it is because I am older now, or perhaps it is because I know I will be in this house a long time. I wanted everything 'perfect'. (We know that life isn't like that though, don't we?)

All is good though. It really is. We are so much happier and more productive here already. I suppose then what is bugging me is that there are so many loose ends that need to be tied up before we can say the house project is 'done.' Will that ever really happen? I wonder.

I write about these things this morning because I often see posts from several of my creative friends where they express that they are experiencing 'blocks'. Although their circumstances vary, I am sure that the reason they are not as productive as they wish to be is that there are other things going on in their lives that occupy much of their thinking. It doesn't have to be a physical thing like moving. It can be illness, family obligations, or just general worry. Sometimes it doesn't take much. It is rare that someone is able have nothing at all weighing on them, and I do believe that the degree of issues that causes this block is as different as each individual experiencing it. It is truly personal. So I don't feel that I am alone in feeling this way.

So what to do about it . . .

I find that the best way for me to overcome these anxious times is to 'push the pile'. By that, I mean do the 'non-creative' work that is necessary so I can feel accomplished and eventually the other, more creative part will come back and fall into place. This not only requires being aware of the situation, but also some patience. It means we need to be kind to ourselves and allow things to work themselves out.

One of the best ways I find to relax and still be creative is to make projects which were created by other designers. Sometimes, like with the Lynne Andrews' "12 Days" and Peggy Harris "Cinderella Mice", I can justify doing that because I know of the perfect recipient for them. It is easy to make something with someone else in mind. That is why most of us craft in the first place.

But every once in a while, I see something that I want to make for no other reason than for myself. These are sometimes the most difficult things to make because I live a life of creating for others so much that it has become a habit. It is a hard one to break sometimes.

The other day, I was going through my issue of Painting Ezine and I saw the most adorable project by one of my long time favorite designers - Kim Christmas - called "Meow, Meow, Boo!" It is a set of three cute autumn ornaments that were done on the silhouettes of kitty heads. Kim's autumn and Halloween patterns are incredible (you can visit her website here at www.kimchristmas.com) and I have always loved her use of color and beautiful designs. I loved this design so much, I actually had a dream about it the other night. I knew I had to make it.

I worked pretty much the entire day on projects yesterday. I am doing another series with a fellow designer and I am not yet at liberty to share it with you, but I will later on. I finished my "work" around dinner time and I thought that I would take the evening to do the "Meow, Meow, Boo!" project for myself. After all - I felt I put in an entire day. While I still had lots of things to do, I felt that I needed to step out of the work place and do some creating for myself. In the long run it will bring me back to where I need to be creatively.

Kim's project called for using DecoArt's Image Transfer for the background of the design. But to use that, you need access to a laser printer (inkjet printers won't work with this process!) But me being me, I improvised a solution that worked really well. Instead of using the Image Transfer medium, I decided to use DecoArt Decoupage to apply a layer of paper on top of my wood pieces to create the background.

Food Ingredient Plastic bottle Liquid Solution


I first went to Etsy and purchased some awesome digital paper . I thought this paper would look great as a background for the design. (By the way - I LOVE digital paper!)

I cut my wood pieces from 1/4" MDF and cut corresponding background pieces in the kitty head shapes:

Creative arts Art Beige Circle Pattern


I then followed the EASY directions to apply the papers to the shapes. I let them dry while I ate dinner and did the dishes:

Textile Gesture Beige Pattern Table


Then the REAL fun began. I began painting the surfaces according to the pattern. (If you don't subscribe to the Painting Ezine, you can order an individual issue for a VERY reasonable cost! Also go to Kim's site to see her other lovely patterns! Most of them are available as PDF files so you can start right away!)

Look at the lovely, rich autumn colors!

Food Ingredient Staple food Cuisine Tree


How can that NOT make you happy???

I watched a couple of episodes of one of my favorite shows on Netflix and painted the evening away. Here is where I wound up before I got tired:

Footwear Shoe Guitar accessory Font String instrument accessory


How awesome is that?? And so, so EASY! I am a snail-slow painter and I was thrilled at how far I got. I hope to finish up these pieces by tonight.

I suppose the point of my post here is that sometimes it that while I am a 'designer' and have my own ideas for designs and usually take the 'leader' position in showing others how to create, sometimes it is best to step back and take the 'follower' position and allow others to lead for a bit. Following instructions of my favorite designers for me is relaxing and invigorating and fills my own need to create stress-free, without having to think too much. Keith often tells me that my "down time" looks a lot like my "work time" and to the outside person, that may be the case. But being a 'follower' really changes the demographics of things and really DOES allow my head to 'rest' and still be productive and creative.

I am sure I will be back on track soon. This isn't the first time something like this has happened to me. I can feel things slowly returning to normal and I have lists and lists of ideas to implement that both my scroll sawing followers as well as my painting followers will enjoy. I think they will, anyway.

I hope that all of you who read that have gone through this give it a try. Sometimes taking pressure off of yourself allows you to do even more in the long run. And in the mean time, you will create some beautiful things for yourself or your loved ones.

I hope to finish this up tonight and have more photos for you tomorrow. In the mean time, I will get some other work done here.

Happy Wednesday to you all! I wish you all a lovely and productive day!
 

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#12,821 ·
#1776 Meow, Meow, Boo (Part 1)

Some of you may have noticed that I have been a bit 'unsettled' lately. While I have been keeping my self busy, I have felt as if I haven't been making much headway in several areas. Maybe the term 'overwhelmed' is a bit more fitting.

I have never been one to make excuses for myself. I learned at an early age that it is better to own up to the things you did or didn't do and then move on from there. To me, the consequences of thinking about things were far worse than the actual result most of the time. Of course, I don't ever remember doing anything hideous. But I am talking about things like not doing my chores or missing a homework assignment - things that are somewhat benign. Many times it was my own guilt that impacted me much more than any punishment that was handed out. I knew I should be doing something, but didn't get it done.

It has been nearly three months since we moved to our new home. It is hard to believe that it has even been that long, but the summer has passed quickly and even though it seems as if we have been busy just about every minute of every single day, I still feel a bit 'behind' in things. I wonder if it is because I am a bit older since the last time I moved and not as resilient. I also wonder if I went through the same feeling of uneasiness as I settled in and just kind of blocked it out of my mind. After all, I was at a different place in my life the last time I moved and never has my business been so successful. I can see how missing days or even weeks back then wouldn't be as noticed as it is today. In the big picture, that is a good thing, right?

Perhaps it seems like our move is so traumatic because I am not considering the time leading up to the actual moving day. We found our new place approximately three months before we actually were able to move in, and those three months were filled with planning and excitement and lots of distractions from work..

Don't get me wrong - everything that we went through was purposeful and necessary. It is just that it has taken time away from my designing. But something has to give I suppose.

So now we are at the six month mark since we found out place here. It is wonderful, spacious and a much better environment for creating and living. We are all happy we are here and even now at this early stage of the game I look back and wonder how we survived as long as we did in our small apartment and were still able to produce and be functional. But we did. And I am sure that after a bit more time, we will settle in and be more comfortable and be able to do so here as well.

In the meantime I suppose I need to be patient with myself. Before we decided to move, we were like a train heading full speed to our destination. Designs were coming quickly as well as the production work, and everything was growing almost just as fast as we could create. But as our moving day came closer, our focus (rightfully) turned to our new home and the actual moving. For some reason, this was so much larger than I thought it would be. Even though I moved from Chicago to Nova Scotia several years ago, this seemed bigger. Perhaps it is because I am older now, or perhaps it is because I know I will be in this house a long time. I wanted everything 'perfect'. (We know that life isn't like that though, don't we?)

All is good though. It really is. We are so much happier and more productive here already. I suppose then what is bugging me is that there are so many loose ends that need to be tied up before we can say the house project is 'done.' Will that ever really happen? I wonder.

I write about these things this morning because I often see posts from several of my creative friends where they express that they are experiencing 'blocks'. Although their circumstances vary, I am sure that the reason they are not as productive as they wish to be is that there are other things going on in their lives that occupy much of their thinking. It doesn't have to be a physical thing like moving. It can be illness, family obligations, or just general worry. Sometimes it doesn't take much. It is rare that someone is able have nothing at all weighing on them, and I do believe that the degree of issues that causes this block is as different as each individual experiencing it. It is truly personal. So I don't feel that I am alone in feeling this way.

So what to do about it . . .

I find that the best way for me to overcome these anxious times is to 'push the pile'. By that, I mean do the 'non-creative' work that is necessary so I can feel accomplished and eventually the other, more creative part will come back and fall into place. This not only requires being aware of the situation, but also some patience. It means we need to be kind to ourselves and allow things to work themselves out.

One of the best ways I find to relax and still be creative is to make projects which were created by other designers. Sometimes, like with the Lynne Andrews' "12 Days" and Peggy Harris "Cinderella Mice", I can justify doing that because I know of the perfect recipient for them. It is easy to make something with someone else in mind. That is why most of us craft in the first place.

But every once in a while, I see something that I want to make for no other reason than for myself. These are sometimes the most difficult things to make because I live a life of creating for others so much that it has become a habit. It is a hard one to break sometimes.

The other day, I was going through my issue of Painting Ezine and I saw the most adorable project by one of my long time favorite designers - Kim Christmas - called "Meow, Meow, Boo!" It is a set of three cute autumn ornaments that were done on the silhouettes of kitty heads. Kim's autumn and Halloween patterns are incredible (you can visit her website here at www.kimchristmas.com) and I have always loved her use of color and beautiful designs. I loved this design so much, I actually had a dream about it the other night. I knew I had to make it.

I worked pretty much the entire day on projects yesterday. I am doing another series with a fellow designer and I am not yet at liberty to share it with you, but I will later on. I finished my "work" around dinner time and I thought that I would take the evening to do the "Meow, Meow, Boo!" project for myself. After all - I felt I put in an entire day. While I still had lots of things to do, I felt that I needed to step out of the work place and do some creating for myself. In the long run it will bring me back to where I need to be creatively.

Kim's project called for using DecoArt's Image Transfer for the background of the design. But to use that, you need access to a laser printer (inkjet printers won't work with this process!) But me being me, I improvised a solution that worked really well. Instead of using the Image Transfer medium, I decided to use DecoArt Decoupage to apply a layer of paper on top of my wood pieces to create the background.

Food Ingredient Plastic bottle Liquid Solution


I first went to Etsy and purchased some awesome digital paper . I thought this paper would look great as a background for the design. (By the way - I LOVE digital paper!)

I cut my wood pieces from 1/4" MDF and cut corresponding background pieces in the kitty head shapes:

Creative arts Art Beige Circle Pattern


I then followed the EASY directions to apply the papers to the shapes. I let them dry while I ate dinner and did the dishes:

Textile Gesture Beige Pattern Table


Then the REAL fun began. I began painting the surfaces according to the pattern. (If you don't subscribe to the Painting Ezine, you can order an individual issue for a VERY reasonable cost! Also go to Kim's site to see her other lovely patterns! Most of them are available as PDF files so you can start right away!)

Look at the lovely, rich autumn colors!

Food Ingredient Staple food Cuisine Tree


How can that NOT make you happy???

I watched a couple of episodes of one of my favorite shows on Netflix and painted the evening away. Here is where I wound up before I got tired:

Footwear Shoe Guitar accessory Font String instrument accessory


How awesome is that?? And so, so EASY! I am a snail-slow painter and I was thrilled at how far I got. I hope to finish up these pieces by tonight.

I suppose the point of my post here is that sometimes it that while I am a 'designer' and have my own ideas for designs and usually take the 'leader' position in showing others how to create, sometimes it is best to step back and take the 'follower' position and allow others to lead for a bit. Following instructions of my favorite designers for me is relaxing and invigorating and fills my own need to create stress-free, without having to think too much. Keith often tells me that my "down time" looks a lot like my "work time" and to the outside person, that may be the case. But being a 'follower' really changes the demographics of things and really DOES allow my head to 'rest' and still be productive and creative.

I am sure I will be back on track soon. This isn't the first time something like this has happened to me. I can feel things slowly returning to normal and I have lists and lists of ideas to implement that both my scroll sawing followers as well as my painting followers will enjoy. I think they will, anyway.

I hope that all of you who read that have gone through this give it a try. Sometimes taking pressure off of yourself allows you to do even more in the long run. And in the mean time, you will create some beautiful things for yourself or your loved ones.

I hope to finish this up tonight and have more photos for you tomorrow. In the mean time, I will get some other work done here.

Happy Wednesday to you all! I wish you all a lovely and productive day!
Home, There will always be loose ends, I built our home over many years actually 40 and there is always work to do, What you have done so far looks very nice and organized, I think in your last post. We do things up to match the picture in our head and after that it is a down ward slide. Time effort to maintain the organization and then acquiring more things. I can't keep up but I hope you can.
 

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#12,823 ·
Meow, Meow, Boo! (Part 2)

Today's post will be a brief one. (Yes - I know! I always say that!)

My day yesterday was pretty much filled with doing some 'maintenance' things for the business as well as our home. Unfortunately, there is nothing profound or exciting about that. I don't really mind, though. The older I get, the more I like these 'non-exciting' days.

Today, however, I want to hit the ground running. I have a lot I want to accomplish and time is ticking. I want to make the best use of my day and see how much I can actually accomplish. So far, I am off to a good start and it is just after 8am my time as I write.

I did call it a day by dinner time. I find that most of my 'moving ambition' comes to me in the morning hours, not in the evening. The evenings are the time when I like to sit down and relax with either my needlework, drawing or painting. On occasion I will play a computer game then, but that hasn't happened for months. Maybe in the winter . . .

Being bound and determined to paint a bit faster than a snail, I wanted to tackle (and finish!) my project that I began the night before - the "Meow, Meow, Boo!" ornaments by Kim Christmas. The act of me completing any type of project in one or two sittings (no matter how simple it may be) is a miracle in itself. I tend to be one of those 'picky' people who can't decide just when it is time to call something 'finished'. One of my personal goals is to learn to do things a bit faster and to know when to say "Done." Otherwise I won't get a fraction of what I would like to do finished.

So I pulled out my paints and cranked up Netflix and actually FOCUSED and finished up my project. I am so proud of myself! :) If I could reach that far, I would pat myself on the back. Here is a photo of the finished ornaments:

Plant Creative arts Flower Art Calabaza


Didn't they come out CUTE?? I just love them and think the colors are amazing!

To further the astonishment of this event, I am proud to say that I completed this project by around 9pm.(That means I had TIME TO SPARE!)

Wow. I didn't think I could do it. It just goes to show what focus and sheer determination can accomplish.

You may think I am making a big deal out of this. After all - they aren't the most difficult patterns out there. If anything, it goes to show just how lovely a project we can do in a short amount of time if we have nice design work and instructions. (Thanks, Kim!)

But for ME to do ANYTHING quickly is in itself something worth noting. I seem to dwell in my 'fussy mode' most of the time - picking things apart and moving through them like a snail in maple syrup. I really and truly had to PUSH myself to move quickly, and it felt really good.

There is HOPE!

Of course, I had to add some of DecoArt's Glamour Dusts to make the pieces sparkle:

Purple Plant Creative arts Sleeve Art


>

I wish you could see just how fabulous they look in person. I am now deciding whether to make them as magnets, plant pokes, ornaments or something else. I need to see where they will fit best in here in my new home. For now they are just on my desk where I can admire them. ;) I hope I don't weaken and give them away. I tend to do that, you know.

If I do, I will know in my heart that I can reproduce them fairly quickly. But for now, I will just enjoy them myself.

Today I am heading to the scroll saw. I have some wood pieces to cut and send to another designer for a wonderful project she is creating. I was honored she asked me to help with her surfaces. I know her project is going to be a big hit and I can't wait to see it come to be.

It is another sunny and cool morning here along the Meteghan River. I have a long-sleeved top on today and forfeited my fluffy blanket to Richard, my cat. Soon autumn will be here to stay and we will be bracing for winter. But I will be ready for it. I already started decorating . . .

Footwear Human body Wood Cleat Font


Happy Thursday to you all!
 

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#12,824 ·
Meow, Meow, Boo! (Part 2)

Today's post will be a brief one. (Yes - I know! I always say that!)

My day yesterday was pretty much filled with doing some 'maintenance' things for the business as well as our home. Unfortunately, there is nothing profound or exciting about that. I don't really mind, though. The older I get, the more I like these 'non-exciting' days.

Today, however, I want to hit the ground running. I have a lot I want to accomplish and time is ticking. I want to make the best use of my day and see how much I can actually accomplish. So far, I am off to a good start and it is just after 8am my time as I write.

I did call it a day by dinner time. I find that most of my 'moving ambition' comes to me in the morning hours, not in the evening. The evenings are the time when I like to sit down and relax with either my needlework, drawing or painting. On occasion I will play a computer game then, but that hasn't happened for months. Maybe in the winter . . .

Being bound and determined to paint a bit faster than a snail, I wanted to tackle (and finish!) my project that I began the night before - the "Meow, Meow, Boo!" ornaments by Kim Christmas. The act of me completing any type of project in one or two sittings (no matter how simple it may be) is a miracle in itself. I tend to be one of those 'picky' people who can't decide just when it is time to call something 'finished'. One of my personal goals is to learn to do things a bit faster and to know when to say "Done." Otherwise I won't get a fraction of what I would like to do finished.

So I pulled out my paints and cranked up Netflix and actually FOCUSED and finished up my project. I am so proud of myself! :) If I could reach that far, I would pat myself on the back. Here is a photo of the finished ornaments:

Plant Creative arts Flower Art Calabaza


Didn't they come out CUTE?? I just love them and think the colors are amazing!

To further the astonishment of this event, I am proud to say that I completed this project by around 9pm.(That means I had TIME TO SPARE!)

Wow. I didn't think I could do it. It just goes to show what focus and sheer determination can accomplish.

You may think I am making a big deal out of this. After all - they aren't the most difficult patterns out there. If anything, it goes to show just how lovely a project we can do in a short amount of time if we have nice design work and instructions. (Thanks, Kim!)

But for ME to do ANYTHING quickly is in itself something worth noting. I seem to dwell in my 'fussy mode' most of the time - picking things apart and moving through them like a snail in maple syrup. I really and truly had to PUSH myself to move quickly, and it felt really good.

There is HOPE!

Of course, I had to add some of DecoArt's Glamour Dusts to make the pieces sparkle:

Purple Plant Creative arts Sleeve Art


>

I wish you could see just how fabulous they look in person. I am now deciding whether to make them as magnets, plant pokes, ornaments or something else. I need to see where they will fit best in here in my new home. For now they are just on my desk where I can admire them. ;) I hope I don't weaken and give them away. I tend to do that, you know.

If I do, I will know in my heart that I can reproduce them fairly quickly. But for now, I will just enjoy them myself.

Today I am heading to the scroll saw. I have some wood pieces to cut and send to another designer for a wonderful project she is creating. I was honored she asked me to help with her surfaces. I know her project is going to be a big hit and I can't wait to see it come to be.

It is another sunny and cool morning here along the Meteghan River. I have a long-sleeved top on today and forfeited my fluffy blanket to Richard, my cat. Soon autumn will be here to stay and we will be bracing for winter. But I will be ready for it. I already started decorating . . .

Footwear Human body Wood Cleat Font


Happy Thursday to you all!
These turned out beautifully Sheila. I visualize a spider in that web!
 

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#12,827 ·
A Wild and Crazy Start to the Week

OK - so it hasn't been that 'wild and crazy'. But it is barely 10am here and I feel as if I have put in nearly a full day already. All my mail is organized, my desk is clean, and the mail is just about ready to go out the door. It is a good start to the week.

I also already have been to the gym this morning. While I am not one of those people who feels the need to report every time I go to the gym, I find that today it was somewhat significant. I have been playing 'hookie' from the gym most of the summer. The work here at the house and the settling in and organizing just left me drained and I felt I had no extra time to go. It was hard enough to get the things that I needed to get done, let alone head out for an hour or so three times a week.

But I know that it is important. The older I get, the more important it is. I don't want to lose the mobility, strength or health that I have. I need to take care of myself and make that a priority. So I decided that I fooled around enough and it was high time to get back on a good schedule. It will make me feel better overall and probably more productive in the long run. So off I went.

Problem was that since I have been missing in action so long, I saw a couple of people that I needed to 'catch up' with. That delayed me a bit in returning home. But it was good to chat and see others, too. We are back on track.

The weekend was both productive and busy. I did a lot of things here around the house. They were little things that are hardly worth mentioning, but the kind of things that we do realize and appreciate. It put me in a good mood and really helped me get in a 'working' mentality. It made me hit the ground running this morning and I feel positively energized. It is going to be a good week ahead.

Keith got lots done as well this weekend. Besides some chores around the house, he also finished and posted his new snowflake project pattern (SLDK687).

Natural environment Branch Organism Plant Art


Isn't it awesome? There are 40 different snowflakes included in the packet. We think our customers will love them!

My own new designs are in the beginning stages. I should have something to show you on them tomorrow. I have two new patterns for the scroll saw that I am thinking about and I need to decide which one to do first. It is a good problem to have.

The "Day 7" ornaments from my "12 Days of Christmas" project designed by Lynne Andrews are all on their way to their respective homes. Those packages went out on Friday. That means that I was able to begin "Day 8" over the weekend.

Crankset Gear Bicycle part Font Circle


They are coming along really nicely and I absolutely LOVE the design. I am not the best at little tiny faces, but I thik the Maid came out nice. (The cow's face, too! LOL!)

Horse Picture frame Creative arts Art Fashion accessory


Since the last five "days" are all of people, I have a total of 29 more faces to paint. I hope I can do them nicely.

So that is my post for today. It finally RAINED this morning, with the sky opening up and offering the first healthy downpour in a long, long time. We really needed it. It seems to be brightening now and is a bit quieter outside. Perhaps that is it for the day.

I hope you all have a great day today and good week ahead. I know I will. It has already been off to a wonderful start.

Happy Monday to you all!
 

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#12,828 ·
"Scary Faces"

As I continue my work as a designer, I also continue to learn and grow. I like to think that each project I do - no matter how large or small - teaches me 'something'.

I am often torn between working on my own projects and doing projects from other designers that I admire. Every day as I check my Facebook account and other social media venues I see more and more projects that I want to try. These come in many different types of media - woodworking, painting and even needlework and sewing. I don't think I will ever run out of things to create. But that is a good thing, right?

I try to do my own work during 'regular working hours' and then I allow myself to 'play' in the evenings. But we all know that while that seems like a good plan on paper, it doesn't always work out to that in real life. Things happen and tend to get skewed all over the place. So I do what I can, when I can, and I hope for the best. It keeps things interesting.

Last night, after a day of drawing my next scroll sawing pattern and cutting orders) I went back to work on my "12 Days of Christmas" project designed by Lynne Andrews. (For those of you interested in perhaps creating this project yourself, you can get the Pattern Book on Lynne's site. It is called "Christmas Blessings". We also have a Facebook support group called "12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We are Making Them!" that you are welcome to join. The group is a great way to see how others are doing completing their sets of these adorable ornaments. Some are just there to cheer us on, which is great. Others are making anywhere from one to multiple sets. Since the project is very detailed, it is wonderful to have a place to share and enjoy our progress and get encouragement and assistance if we need it from other painters. It is really a lovely way to share our love of painting.

Now that I am in the latter stages of this project (I am on Day 8) the subjects for my ornaments turned from "birds" to "people". For me that is quite scary. Since days eight through 12 all have people as their subjects, that means that I will have to paint no less than 30 faces! (I am doing six sets of the ornaments.) That gets a big "YIKES!" from me. Not only do I find faces difficult, but I don't consider it a strong point of my painting skills. Add to that, they are all going to be TINY faces - about the size of your baby finger nail - and they are downright SCARY. (And not in a good way.)

In my previous post, I showed you the first face completed. I was pretty happy with her:

Horse Picture frame Creative arts Art Fashion accessory


She looked nice and not too silly. Since the ornaments are very whimsical, I thought she fit in well with the tone of the project. I was happy.

But now I had to create her five 'sisters' to look just like her. (Or DO they have to look "just like her"? It was a question I asked myself that gave me an entire new perspective on things.)

I proceeded to do the cow's heads first. Those were pretty easy. After all, in order to screw up the cows face, I would almost have to try. I was pleased with my cows and it was still early enough for me to continue on. I knew that I wanted to tackle those girls' faces first and get that out of my way. That way I could 'relax' and finish up my Day 8 pieces. I did my general basing on the remaining five ornaments, and I finished the next one completely before moving on. (The one in the middle of the photo)

Dishware Circle Cake decorating supply Font Art


I was not unhappy with the result. While she didn't look exactly like the first girl, she looked like a 'sister'.

Textile Paint Creative arts Art Painting


I think she looks a little more 'realistic' than the first one, but that is my style of painting showing through I suppose and I don't think it is a bad thing. I continued on and completed all five faces. Here is the result:

Creative arts Art Ornament Toy Font


No two look exactly alike. Each one has her own expression and 'look' to her. As I look back on them this morning, there are a couple of minor adjustments that I will be doing, but for the most part, they are done.

The most important thing that I learned so far from this is that there are no set and fast rules that each face HAS to look identical to the others. If I take each ornament individually and look at it, I am happy. They all came out rather pretty, I think. It is only when they are put all together here side-by-side that you really see the difference. Is there really anything wrong with that?

These six ornaments will be scattered over two countries and once they are parted from each other, they will never meet again. Why then, should I be obsessed with making them all look identical? It is a question I had to stop and ask myself as I kept picking and picking at making them look the same.

This realization is rather 'freeing', I think. And while I am learning how the tiny variations of the shapes of the nose, mouth and eyes can change the 'look' of the face completely, I am also learning that there are many, many 'right' ways to paint these. And that makes it fun. My "Scary Faces" aren't so scary after all!

I will continue on with my "Day 8" ornaments and hopefully finish them up in the next couple of days. I feel that I am getting back on schedule with them after falling behind this summer. By Christmas, each recipient SHOULD have all 12. One can hope.

In the mean time, I spent the bulk of yesterday drawing up some new scroll saw designs. I can't wait to try them out and cut them and see how they look. So far, I am excited about them. Here is a sample for you to see:

Plant Branch Tree Liquid Art


I can't cut today, but I hope to cut them out by tomorrow. Then I will have them ready for our site update at the end of the week. I think they will be a really fun project.

It is overcast here today after a couple of days of much-needed rain. I look forward to working on my projects and staying close to home today. It will be a good and productive time, I think and I hope that I learn something new again, too. I hope you have a lovely day as well on this last day of summer. Autumn is knocking at our door.

Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

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#12,829 ·
"Scary Faces"

As I continue my work as a designer, I also continue to learn and grow. I like to think that each project I do - no matter how large or small - teaches me 'something'.

I am often torn between working on my own projects and doing projects from other designers that I admire. Every day as I check my Facebook account and other social media venues I see more and more projects that I want to try. These come in many different types of media - woodworking, painting and even needlework and sewing. I don't think I will ever run out of things to create. But that is a good thing, right?

I try to do my own work during 'regular working hours' and then I allow myself to 'play' in the evenings. But we all know that while that seems like a good plan on paper, it doesn't always work out to that in real life. Things happen and tend to get skewed all over the place. So I do what I can, when I can, and I hope for the best. It keeps things interesting.

Last night, after a day of drawing my next scroll sawing pattern and cutting orders) I went back to work on my "12 Days of Christmas" project designed by Lynne Andrews. (For those of you interested in perhaps creating this project yourself, you can get the Pattern Book on Lynne's site. It is called "Christmas Blessings". We also have a Facebook support group called "12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We are Making Them!" that you are welcome to join. The group is a great way to see how others are doing completing their sets of these adorable ornaments. Some are just there to cheer us on, which is great. Others are making anywhere from one to multiple sets. Since the project is very detailed, it is wonderful to have a place to share and enjoy our progress and get encouragement and assistance if we need it from other painters. It is really a lovely way to share our love of painting.

Now that I am in the latter stages of this project (I am on Day 8) the subjects for my ornaments turned from "birds" to "people". For me that is quite scary. Since days eight through 12 all have people as their subjects, that means that I will have to paint no less than 30 faces! (I am doing six sets of the ornaments.) That gets a big "YIKES!" from me. Not only do I find faces difficult, but I don't consider it a strong point of my painting skills. Add to that, they are all going to be TINY faces - about the size of your baby finger nail - and they are downright SCARY. (And not in a good way.)

In my previous post, I showed you the first face completed. I was pretty happy with her:

Horse Picture frame Creative arts Art Fashion accessory


She looked nice and not too silly. Since the ornaments are very whimsical, I thought she fit in well with the tone of the project. I was happy.

But now I had to create her five 'sisters' to look just like her. (Or DO they have to look "just like her"? It was a question I asked myself that gave me an entire new perspective on things.)

I proceeded to do the cow's heads first. Those were pretty easy. After all, in order to screw up the cows face, I would almost have to try. I was pleased with my cows and it was still early enough for me to continue on. I knew that I wanted to tackle those girls' faces first and get that out of my way. That way I could 'relax' and finish up my Day 8 pieces. I did my general basing on the remaining five ornaments, and I finished the next one completely before moving on. (The one in the middle of the photo)

Dishware Circle Cake decorating supply Font Art


I was not unhappy with the result. While she didn't look exactly like the first girl, she looked like a 'sister'.

Textile Paint Creative arts Art Painting


I think she looks a little more 'realistic' than the first one, but that is my style of painting showing through I suppose and I don't think it is a bad thing. I continued on and completed all five faces. Here is the result:

Creative arts Art Ornament Toy Font


No two look exactly alike. Each one has her own expression and 'look' to her. As I look back on them this morning, there are a couple of minor adjustments that I will be doing, but for the most part, they are done.

The most important thing that I learned so far from this is that there are no set and fast rules that each face HAS to look identical to the others. If I take each ornament individually and look at it, I am happy. They all came out rather pretty, I think. It is only when they are put all together here side-by-side that you really see the difference. Is there really anything wrong with that?

These six ornaments will be scattered over two countries and once they are parted from each other, they will never meet again. Why then, should I be obsessed with making them all look identical? It is a question I had to stop and ask myself as I kept picking and picking at making them look the same.

This realization is rather 'freeing', I think. And while I am learning how the tiny variations of the shapes of the nose, mouth and eyes can change the 'look' of the face completely, I am also learning that there are many, many 'right' ways to paint these. And that makes it fun. My "Scary Faces" aren't so scary after all!

I will continue on with my "Day 8" ornaments and hopefully finish them up in the next couple of days. I feel that I am getting back on schedule with them after falling behind this summer. By Christmas, each recipient SHOULD have all 12. One can hope.

In the mean time, I spent the bulk of yesterday drawing up some new scroll saw designs. I can't wait to try them out and cut them and see how they look. So far, I am excited about them. Here is a sample for you to see:

Plant Branch Tree Liquid Art


I can't cut today, but I hope to cut them out by tomorrow. Then I will have them ready for our site update at the end of the week. I think they will be a really fun project.

It is overcast here today after a couple of days of much-needed rain. I look forward to working on my projects and staying close to home today. It will be a good and productive time, I think and I hope that I learn something new again, too. I hope you have a lovely day as well on this last day of summer. Autumn is knocking at our door.

Happy Wednesday to you all!
Been reading your posts, very interesting subjects and projects. I have wifi at friends so that is nice. We went to another falls as a road trip here in Washington state. With the high cliffs I found it scary.

Water Natural landscape Waterfall Fluid Fluvial landforms of streams
 

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#12,832 ·
Welcome Autumn!!

As summer slipped quietly away, it made room for my favorite season of all - AUTUMN!

Many people dread the passing of summer, as they see autumn as the gateway to the ice and snow that comes with the winter season that follows. I am fortunate in that my health is good and I am able to appreciate all the seasons without problems. I actually love the cold, crisp air of winter, along with the snow it brings. I don't even mind being inside for the season, as I am happy to have a nice and comfortable place (and several cats!) to keep me warm. To me, it is a time to stay home and focus on creating. There are less distractions and I don't mind the thought of being snowed in one bit. But I am getting ahead of things . . .

The transition of summer into winter is typically beautiful. We are able to put the sticky, humid days of summer behind us and each new day brings us a different type of beauty. We witness the changes that Mother Nature puts into place for us as we watch the leaves on the hardwood trees turn from green to golden to beautiful warm colors that range from golden yellow to crimson. It is a time when awareness of our surroundings is high as well as appreciation for the process of change itself. It is a time of preparation for the holidays and the cold days to come, and I find a great deal of joy in decorating my home in warm autumn colors. No wonder I like it so much.

It also means that the year is winding down, and soon will be over. As the years pass by, each year seems somewhat shorter. It feels that way to me, anyway. I wonder if this is because I am getting older, or because I am busier than I used to be or because I appreciate each day a bit more than I used to. Perhaps it is a bit of all of those reasons. Whatever the case, it is a good place to be.

Yesterday I picked up my car for its final service before I put it away for the winter. I can now check off the list that all the mechanics of it are sound and in working order. The oil is fresh and I just had the motor and underside of it steam cleaned and undercoated. Even though I will put it in storage, living near the ocean exposes it to salty air that can corrode it quickly. I want to have it for many years to come.

I also had company yesterday, although Keith's mom is hardly considered 'company'. We had a good day and visited a bit and caught up on things and did some shopping. We also had a great meal, as we usually do. It is amazing how quickly we can create a feast and how 'effortless' it seems when we work together.

I had a little time to paint while his mom was here and after she left. My friend and fellow designer Sandy Warner McTier had posted this lovely drawing for us to "play" with:

Plant Botany Flower Art Twig


When I saw it, I knew it would be a great time to play with my Mission Gold Watercolors!

I printed the line work out on some watercolor paper.

Automotive design Font Art Material property Art book


I also thought I would try my new Faux Squirrel brushes that I got from Dynasty. I have been playing with them with my acrylic paint a bit, but I understand they are great with watercolors. I did find that the fibers in them seem to be a bit more absorbent than the regular taklon brushes. This made them great for what I was doing. They held a lot of water, and kept a good edge in the process. :)

Dishware Tableware Recipe Serveware Cup


(I found that you can get them from The Brush Guys at the bests prices!)

I simply relaxed and 'colored in' the images with the watercolor paints. This was a great way to enjoy the colors and 'get to know' them a bit better. I mixed them too and had fun doing that and changing the intensity and values. What a great way to practice! :)

It took me no time at all to complete the little sketches. I love how they came out!

Flower Plant Botany Paint Creative arts


It found a nice place at the top of my message board near my desk:

Textile Art Shelf Creative arts Shelving


It was a really good day.

This morning, I did some work adding a couple of new products to my Etsy shop. I had cut the wood for these pieces for another designer friend of mine - Amy Mogish.

Christmas ornament Plant Hat Fruit Holiday ornament


Aren't they adorable??

I now have the wood pieces available at my shop. (They will be on the regular website by the next update!)

I have the snowman piece (SLD147) HERE:

Plant Tree Font Circle Metal


. . . and the Santa (SLD148) HERE:

<
Toy Font Jewellery Symbol Circle


I think they are both fabulous pieces! Wait until you see what Amy came up with next! I am working with her again on another project, and I absolutely love it. You can visit Amy's website - Classic Amy Joanne - by clicking the link. She has loads of great projects, tutorials and surfaces for you to paint.

Today I plan on doing some cutting and more drawing for scrolling patterns. It is going to be a full day for sure. I also have some more products to add into my Etsy store and I will keep you updated on that. As usual, I am spinning lots of plates at once. But that is what makes life fun, right??

I hope you enjoy this first day of autumn. It is beautiful and sunny and cool here. Just perfect as far as I am concerned.

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,833 ·
Welcome Autumn!!

As summer slipped quietly away, it made room for my favorite season of all - AUTUMN!

Many people dread the passing of summer, as they see autumn as the gateway to the ice and snow that comes with the winter season that follows. I am fortunate in that my health is good and I am able to appreciate all the seasons without problems. I actually love the cold, crisp air of winter, along with the snow it brings. I don't even mind being inside for the season, as I am happy to have a nice and comfortable place (and several cats!) to keep me warm. To me, it is a time to stay home and focus on creating. There are less distractions and I don't mind the thought of being snowed in one bit. But I am getting ahead of things . . .

The transition of summer into winter is typically beautiful. We are able to put the sticky, humid days of summer behind us and each new day brings us a different type of beauty. We witness the changes that Mother Nature puts into place for us as we watch the leaves on the hardwood trees turn from green to golden to beautiful warm colors that range from golden yellow to crimson. It is a time when awareness of our surroundings is high as well as appreciation for the process of change itself. It is a time of preparation for the holidays and the cold days to come, and I find a great deal of joy in decorating my home in warm autumn colors. No wonder I like it so much.

It also means that the year is winding down, and soon will be over. As the years pass by, each year seems somewhat shorter. It feels that way to me, anyway. I wonder if this is because I am getting older, or because I am busier than I used to be or because I appreciate each day a bit more than I used to. Perhaps it is a bit of all of those reasons. Whatever the case, it is a good place to be.

Yesterday I picked up my car for its final service before I put it away for the winter. I can now check off the list that all the mechanics of it are sound and in working order. The oil is fresh and I just had the motor and underside of it steam cleaned and undercoated. Even though I will put it in storage, living near the ocean exposes it to salty air that can corrode it quickly. I want to have it for many years to come.

I also had company yesterday, although Keith's mom is hardly considered 'company'. We had a good day and visited a bit and caught up on things and did some shopping. We also had a great meal, as we usually do. It is amazing how quickly we can create a feast and how 'effortless' it seems when we work together.

I had a little time to paint while his mom was here and after she left. My friend and fellow designer Sandy Warner McTier had posted this lovely drawing for us to "play" with:

Plant Botany Flower Art Twig


When I saw it, I knew it would be a great time to play with my Mission Gold Watercolors!

I printed the line work out on some watercolor paper.

Automotive design Font Art Material property Art book


I also thought I would try my new Faux Squirrel brushes that I got from Dynasty. I have been playing with them with my acrylic paint a bit, but I understand they are great with watercolors. I did find that the fibers in them seem to be a bit more absorbent than the regular taklon brushes. This made them great for what I was doing. They held a lot of water, and kept a good edge in the process. :)

Dishware Tableware Recipe Serveware Cup


(I found that you can get them from The Brush Guys at the bests prices!)

I simply relaxed and 'colored in' the images with the watercolor paints. This was a great way to enjoy the colors and 'get to know' them a bit better. I mixed them too and had fun doing that and changing the intensity and values. What a great way to practice! :)

It took me no time at all to complete the little sketches. I love how they came out!

Flower Plant Botany Paint Creative arts


It found a nice place at the top of my message board near my desk:

Textile Art Shelf Creative arts Shelving


It was a really good day.

This morning, I did some work adding a couple of new products to my Etsy shop. I had cut the wood for these pieces for another designer friend of mine - Amy Mogish.

Christmas ornament Plant Hat Fruit Holiday ornament


Aren't they adorable??

I now have the wood pieces available at my shop. (They will be on the regular website by the next update!)

I have the snowman piece (SLD147) HERE:

Plant Tree Font Circle Metal


. . . and the Santa (SLD148) HERE:

<
Toy Font Jewellery Symbol Circle


I think they are both fabulous pieces! Wait until you see what Amy came up with next! I am working with her again on another project, and I absolutely love it. You can visit Amy's website - Classic Amy Joanne - by clicking the link. She has loads of great projects, tutorials and surfaces for you to paint.

Today I plan on doing some cutting and more drawing for scrolling patterns. It is going to be a full day for sure. I also have some more products to add into my Etsy store and I will keep you updated on that. As usual, I am spinning lots of plates at once. But that is what makes life fun, right??

I hope you enjoy this first day of autumn. It is beautiful and sunny and cool here. Just perfect as far as I am concerned.

Happy Thursday to you all!
Hi found your post interesting this morning. Summer to winter. In the Pacific North West the transition is often wet and cold from storms in the Gulf of Alaska. Then snow and more clouds, but I enjoy the time in the warm shop, creating projects etc. so that time of the year is not that bad. My truck I do not drive in the winter so I clean it as you do then spray a light coat of transmission fluid over the body, it keeps the paint in top shape. Cars will rust more not being used as there is no air flow. Also spray rust check in door and rocker panels.
Interesting your adventure with watercolors, the friends that I am staying with has self taught herself over the past year. she has a web site. It is shawnawrightart.weebly.com . Check it out if you have time, anyway a couple of days ago a lady came over to learn, so I joined in and did my first watercolor. I sketched a butterfly from a picture and gave it a whirl. It may not be great but I was happy with it. I hope to do another one today if she has time in red and yellows. Have a nice day and keep painting.

Pollinator Insect Butterfly Arthropod Creative arts
 

Attachments

#12,835 ·
Some Distractions and an Update

As some of you may have noticed, I haven't been posting as regularly as you all may have been used to. It seems that the past couple of months have been a bit unsettling for me and I have been a little bit distracted.

I don't know if reading about our move is becoming tiring to you all or not. I hope it isn't. I am finding that settling in has taken much longer than I have anticipated and there is really no way around being distracted. After all, both living and working from home means that I am constantly reminded of all these little things that I need to do. Those of you who have moved know that it sometimes takes quite a bit of time to really settle in and feel comfortable in a new environment - no matter how nice it is. Some things just take time, and I believe that part of what I am experiencing these past several weeks has been finding comfort and familiarity in an entirely new environment.

For those of you who are new to my blog, at the beginning of summer we moved from a small, one bedroom apartment to a full, two-story house. We figure we have about four to five times the space that we had become used to, and it was a wonderful breath of fresh air for both Keith and I, who have run our business from home for the past seven years. We are now able to stretch our legs and not only do we have a large room that is our designated workshop, but I have my own large studio/office and Keith has the entire basement (which he completely renovated and tailored to his needs) to work and play in. Not to mention a large living room and dining area and kitchen. You may say we are 'thrilled'.

But coming from a cramped, small space means that a great deal of organization needed to take place. Both Keith and I are sticklers for being organized. That is how we survived in such a small place for so long. We always took pride in the fact that people who came in would tell us that they would never know we ran a business from our small apartment - let along a woodworking business. We always tried to keep things in place and in order, and tried our best to make our home comfortable and uncluttered. But finally, we just knew it was time to change.

In any case, we moved in June and have been working hard to organize and settle in all summer. This has taken up a great deal of time - not only physically, but emotional time as well. Those hours that I had spent planning and thinking and organizing were usually spent creating. While I feel that I have been still doing some new designing, I am certainly not at my usual work load. But I am doing my best.

Last week I showed a hint of some drawings that I was doing for some new ornaments. I am pleased to say that I did get them finished, and we were able to do a site update this past weekend and get everything new posted. Keith has some outstanding new designs as well, and I thought you would like to see them.

First off, Keith made a new snowflake pattern with eight different basic shapes of snowflakes and five (YES! I said FIVE!) variations on each. (Do you think he is hanging around me too long??)

Natural environment Branch Organism Plant Art


Here are some of his SLD687 Snowflake Ornaments pattern. If you go to the web page, you can see all the different variations. Some have words and some do not and there are different levels of difficulty. Surely there is something there for everyone.

The next new pattern is the one that I created and showed you a peek of last week. It is my SLD532 Large Damask Snowflakes Ornaments pattern.

Purple Textile Organism Gold Petal


Each 6" ornament is fun and challenging and would look lovely cut from beautiful hardwood. But they would also be nice stack-cut from plywood, painted and embellished with some beautiful rhinestones. There are so many ways you can create these pretty ornaments. I think they not only beautiful, but fun to cut as well.

Finally, for this update, Keith created these lovely SLDK688 Overlay Angel Ornaments.

Font Religious item Cross Wood Red


The angels can be displayed as shown, or on their own to enhance any tree, wreath or garland.

We also have a special discount code for our Newsletter Subscribers this time. You can get it by joining our Mailing List on our site. (We never share your information with anyone)

We think that it was a pretty good variety of things for the update.

I also have been getting many requests to show what we are doing with our home. Many of you like seeing our organization progress and enjoy seeing photos of our home. I did take some pictures of this weekend's projects to share.

This is a photo of our dining room/entry area. I love how bright and airy it is. It is a large room with plenty of space and lovely hardwood floors thoroughout our home. (The home is over 150 years old!) While it is roomy, it is still rather stark.

Table Furniture Window Cabinetry Wood


I had purchased some pretty black linen to make a valance for the windows and a curtain for the entry door. I just think it would warm up the place. I also made some new chair pads for the chairs, with a lovely brown/black thick tweed fabric.

Here is the "after" picture . . .

Furniture Table Property Window Cabinetry


It is funny what a difference just these small tings makes!

These are the things that make a house a "home" I feel. Even with the door closed, it looks so much nicer and 'warmer'.

Furniture Property Table Cabinetry Window


Another thing I did for my 'studio' room was to make some pretty lace curtains for the French doors which divide it from the living room. (You can see "Inspector Coco" looking them over!)

Cat Felidae Carnivore Wood Interior design


Again, it makes such a lovely difference - allowing privacy for both Keith and I without completely shutting the other out:

Property Wood Flooring Fixture Floor


I absolutely LOVE my work area and desk, too! All of those hours of planning and organizing are really going to pay off. I have a most beautiful and comfortable space to call my own!

Cabinetry Furniture Personal computer Computer desk Building


I have a couple of additional projects that I am working on today, and I will be happy to share them with you tomorrow. I am happy to say I am "almost" finished with my studio. After today, all I will have to do is 'fine tune' some of the organizing and I will be good to go. Then I will move to the upstairs and our bedroom and bathroom and hallway. I still want to do some things to the bathroom downstairs, but these other projects are slated for the winter. I think that making the main living area and working areas complete first are the most important. The woodworking room upstairs is in pretty good shape, with only some fine tuning projects left to do over the winter.

I think I will be pretty busy for the time being . . .

I hope you don't mind seeing these photos. There is part of me that feels a bit guilty for not focusing 100% on work. But that is really only a small part and I know that what I am doing now ultimately will pay off in the long run. I am so used to blogging every day and cranking out design after design that anything less that that can feel like slacking. But I think in the long run, it will make allow me to design more efficiently and even better in the future. I hope you stick with me through these 'growing pains.' I promise that there are great things to come.

It is Tuesday already and it is very autumn-like here in Nova Scotia. It is overcast, dark and very cool outside. Quite somber in fact. But it is a nice day to curl up, make some soup or bake, and enjoy being inside my new home. Tomorrow I will show you the rest of what I am doing with my studio. Then I can call it "done" and get to designing.

Sometimes distractions can be very functional.

Have a wonderful day!
 

Attachments

#12,836 ·
Some Distractions and an Update

As some of you may have noticed, I haven't been posting as regularly as you all may have been used to. It seems that the past couple of months have been a bit unsettling for me and I have been a little bit distracted.

I don't know if reading about our move is becoming tiring to you all or not. I hope it isn't. I am finding that settling in has taken much longer than I have anticipated and there is really no way around being distracted. After all, both living and working from home means that I am constantly reminded of all these little things that I need to do. Those of you who have moved know that it sometimes takes quite a bit of time to really settle in and feel comfortable in a new environment - no matter how nice it is. Some things just take time, and I believe that part of what I am experiencing these past several weeks has been finding comfort and familiarity in an entirely new environment.

For those of you who are new to my blog, at the beginning of summer we moved from a small, one bedroom apartment to a full, two-story house. We figure we have about four to five times the space that we had become used to, and it was a wonderful breath of fresh air for both Keith and I, who have run our business from home for the past seven years. We are now able to stretch our legs and not only do we have a large room that is our designated workshop, but I have my own large studio/office and Keith has the entire basement (which he completely renovated and tailored to his needs) to work and play in. Not to mention a large living room and dining area and kitchen. You may say we are 'thrilled'.

But coming from a cramped, small space means that a great deal of organization needed to take place. Both Keith and I are sticklers for being organized. That is how we survived in such a small place for so long. We always took pride in the fact that people who came in would tell us that they would never know we ran a business from our small apartment - let along a woodworking business. We always tried to keep things in place and in order, and tried our best to make our home comfortable and uncluttered. But finally, we just knew it was time to change.

In any case, we moved in June and have been working hard to organize and settle in all summer. This has taken up a great deal of time - not only physically, but emotional time as well. Those hours that I had spent planning and thinking and organizing were usually spent creating. While I feel that I have been still doing some new designing, I am certainly not at my usual work load. But I am doing my best.

Last week I showed a hint of some drawings that I was doing for some new ornaments. I am pleased to say that I did get them finished, and we were able to do a site update this past weekend and get everything new posted. Keith has some outstanding new designs as well, and I thought you would like to see them.

First off, Keith made a new snowflake pattern with eight different basic shapes of snowflakes and five (YES! I said FIVE!) variations on each. (Do you think he is hanging around me too long??)

Natural environment Branch Organism Plant Art


Here are some of his SLD687 Snowflake Ornaments pattern. If you go to the web page, you can see all the different variations. Some have words and some do not and there are different levels of difficulty. Surely there is something there for everyone.

The next new pattern is the one that I created and showed you a peek of last week. It is my SLD532 Large Damask Snowflakes Ornaments pattern.

Purple Textile Organism Gold Petal


Each 6" ornament is fun and challenging and would look lovely cut from beautiful hardwood. But they would also be nice stack-cut from plywood, painted and embellished with some beautiful rhinestones. There are so many ways you can create these pretty ornaments. I think they not only beautiful, but fun to cut as well.

Finally, for this update, Keith created these lovely SLDK688 Overlay Angel Ornaments.

Font Religious item Cross Wood Red


The angels can be displayed as shown, or on their own to enhance any tree, wreath or garland.

We also have a special discount code for our Newsletter Subscribers this time. You can get it by joining our Mailing List on our site. (We never share your information with anyone)

We think that it was a pretty good variety of things for the update.

I also have been getting many requests to show what we are doing with our home. Many of you like seeing our organization progress and enjoy seeing photos of our home. I did take some pictures of this weekend's projects to share.

This is a photo of our dining room/entry area. I love how bright and airy it is. It is a large room with plenty of space and lovely hardwood floors thoroughout our home. (The home is over 150 years old!) While it is roomy, it is still rather stark.

Table Furniture Window Cabinetry Wood


I had purchased some pretty black linen to make a valance for the windows and a curtain for the entry door. I just think it would warm up the place. I also made some new chair pads for the chairs, with a lovely brown/black thick tweed fabric.

Here is the "after" picture . . .

Furniture Table Property Window Cabinetry


It is funny what a difference just these small tings makes!

These are the things that make a house a "home" I feel. Even with the door closed, it looks so much nicer and 'warmer'.

Furniture Property Table Cabinetry Window


Another thing I did for my 'studio' room was to make some pretty lace curtains for the French doors which divide it from the living room. (You can see "Inspector Coco" looking them over!)

Cat Felidae Carnivore Wood Interior design


Again, it makes such a lovely difference - allowing privacy for both Keith and I without completely shutting the other out:

Property Wood Flooring Fixture Floor


I absolutely LOVE my work area and desk, too! All of those hours of planning and organizing are really going to pay off. I have a most beautiful and comfortable space to call my own!

Cabinetry Furniture Personal computer Computer desk Building


I have a couple of additional projects that I am working on today, and I will be happy to share them with you tomorrow. I am happy to say I am "almost" finished with my studio. After today, all I will have to do is 'fine tune' some of the organizing and I will be good to go. Then I will move to the upstairs and our bedroom and bathroom and hallway. I still want to do some things to the bathroom downstairs, but these other projects are slated for the winter. I think that making the main living area and working areas complete first are the most important. The woodworking room upstairs is in pretty good shape, with only some fine tuning projects left to do over the winter.

I think I will be pretty busy for the time being . . .

I hope you don't mind seeing these photos. There is part of me that feels a bit guilty for not focusing 100% on work. But that is really only a small part and I know that what I am doing now ultimately will pay off in the long run. I am so used to blogging every day and cranking out design after design that anything less that that can feel like slacking. But I think in the long run, it will make allow me to design more efficiently and even better in the future. I hope you stick with me through these 'growing pains.' I promise that there are great things to come.

It is Tuesday already and it is very autumn-like here in Nova Scotia. It is overcast, dark and very cool outside. Quite somber in fact. But it is a nice day to curl up, make some soup or bake, and enjoy being inside my new home. Tomorrow I will show you the rest of what I am doing with my studio. Then I can call it "done" and get to designing.

Sometimes distractions can be very functional.

Have a wonderful day!
Hi, still on the road, arrived at the farm where I grew up in the North Okanogan B.C. last evening, my sister has satalite internet so was anxious to check lumberjocks. House looks great, like a magazine photo. Perfect in every way…. Now it needs some living in to make it homey.. Pictures that people often post on lumberjocks are so clean and organized I wonder if they do anything in them, I quess I am really thinking of magazine articles and pictures. You must have been very busy as you didn't comment on my last posted reply, as you often have. Since I am not home I have more time if I have internet access that is free to check things out
 

Attachments

#12,840 ·
Emotional Real Estate

Did you ever feel that you were running in lots of directions at once? Lately, that is exactly how things have felt for me. I have been busy from the time I wake until the time I finally go to sleep, but have been going from one thing to another to yet another.

I don't think that this is a bad thing at all, really. Because in the process, I am checking off a lot of things that I wanted to get done and in the end, accomplishing a great deal. To the outsider, it may not look like a lot, but when I think of the 'emotional real estate' that I am freeing up, I realize that these little pieces of the puzzle that are slowly falling together are far more important than I initially thought. As each piece finds its place, no matter how small it may be, it allows room for my mind to focus on something else. Ideally that would be designing, and as I check off these small things one by one, I do find that my thoughts are heading towards new designs and ideas for projects. It is a process though, and can't seem to be rushed or forced.

I am certain that many of my colleagues go through this process often - especially when they have changes in their lives. But recognizing that this is just part of 'life' and allowing things to work themselves out is probably the best way to get through things. For someone who is proactive, such as I am, it is not always easy to allow things to run their course. My first reaction is to force things along. But that only seems to raise the anxiety level and make things worse, thus slowing the process overall. I am finding it is best to 'just do what I can' and accept my own limitations and let everything run its course and follow the process. Being patient with myself is what will work best. We are always learning new lessons about life, aren't we? Perhaps mellowing out a little bit isn't a bad thing.

As a result of this, my blogs here may not seem as 'organized' as they have been in the past. I may seem to jump around a little bit more than usual, as even though I am doing lots of small things at once, I still feel many of them merit showing you all and may be of interest. I hope you agree.

I'll start out today with sharing some wonderful things I got from the Artist's Club the other day. They continue to be one of my favorite suppliers of books and art supplies. (And let's face it - whether you paint or do woodwork, you have to love new art supplies, right?)

At this time (until October 9th) they have an offer that includes FREE SHIPPING for all orders over $50. That includes CANADA! They have this promotion a couple of times a year and since my palette paper supply was getting low, I thought that I would dive in and see what else I could treat myself to in order to make the $50 cut. Needless to say, I had little trouble reaching (and exceeding!) that goal and got a variety of cool stuff:

Table Publication Book Material property Font


What a cool array of art supplies! As you see, there were a few books that I picked up. Even though many of the patterns and books that I buy are now digital, I still love seeing the beautiful color photos and holding the books in my hand. The watercolor book was on clearance and has a variety of techniques and lots of information about that medium. I am sure I will learn a great deal from it. The other two books were impulse buys. I liked the projects that were shown on the website and I thought "one day" I may make them. They kind of went along for the ride with the order.

One thing that I am anxious to try are these cool sponge dabbers by Loew-Cornell:

Hand Material property Thumb Packing materials Nail


They are for using with stencilling and for creating interesting backgrounds and they were very inexpensive (under $3 each). There are three different textures available and I got one of each. I will show more of them as I use them and let you all know how I like them.

Another product that I was wanted to purchase was Saral Transfer Paper in grey.

Material property Packaging and labeling Font Publication Box


I have found that while I like the DecoArt transfer paper, it is very, very dark and when I try to buff it down with an eraser, it tends to smudge on the lighter things. The Seral brand is supposed to not smear and hopefully will do a better job. Upon opening the package and trying it with my "12 Days" ornaments last night, I think I will be very happy with it. It is much lighter than the DecoArt paper and still did the job nicely. I am pleased.

Finally, I got this awesome Brush Basin and "stuff" from General products.

Ingredient Cuisine Food Font Sweetness


I didn't really need a new brush basin, as I use empty plastic containers that sour cream comes in usually, but I wanted the stuff that came in it. I have used "The Master's" brush cleaner before and I love it. The Factis eraser is nice and clean and works well with both pencils and transfer paper. I haven't tried the Artist Soap or the Kiss-Off, but I have heard good things about them and thought I would give them a go. If they are anything like the brush cleaner, I should be happy. This "kit" cost about $25 for everything and seeing the cost of the larger brush cleaner is around $15 in itself, I thought it was a good deal. I did use the brush basin last night and I was delighted to see that it has a nice fitting lid for it. Anyone with cats will appreciate that. When I was done or had to move away from my desk, I just popped the lid on and went. My cats tend to pick in my paint water at any opportunity (I know I am not alone in this) and it is good to have something so convenient. The square shape also means it is more stable and less splashing of the water due to bumping. Those of us whose painting table gets 'full' will understand the value of that.

All in all, I am thrilled. I am thinking about what else I can get from them before the free shipping event is up. Perhaps there will be another order in the near future. . . .

One more (somewhat) unrelated thing came that day as well - my October issue of Painting World magazine!

Publication Santa claus Beard Font Facial hair


This is the third issue and their first Ornament Special. There is a great variety of all types of ornaments to paint and I loved it. I think that it is a great publication and they are doing a fine job with it. One day I hope to submit to it when things loosen up a bit for me and I have a bit more time. :)

. . . and now for something completely different . . .

I finished the small curtain on the door to my studio/office.

Window Fixture Paint Wood Building


It may seem like a little thing, but I was so happy to get it done. The door is at the front of our house, and even though most of the traffic is through the side door next to the driveway, I felt like I wanted a bit of privacy when people arrive through the front. While the lace is sheer, it still allows light to come through and I don't feel like I am as much in a fish bowl. (I know - it is weird. But it bugged me.) Sometimes it is the small things that make the biggest difference.

I also finished my small cushion cover for the little bench under the window and got my shelves hung:

Furniture Azure Window Comfort Wood


My room is one step closer to being fully 'complete' now, with only the back and side cushions for the daybed to be made. I need to wait a couple of weeks though to do that so I can purchase the foam when I head up the valley for a 'Fiber Festival' show with my friend - more on that later, though!

I LOVE how my shelves look:

Property Window Azure Comfort Wood


The wall there was screaming for me to hang something there, but I wanted something that I could change out with the seasons. I could have hung the picture there, but then if I decided to put a seasonal picture there later, things would be off centered and it would be unlikely that I would have something the same size there. I saw this shelving group on Amazon.ca and ordered right up. The four staggered shelves will do a great job displaying all sorts of my projects. You can see I put my "Meow, Meow, Boo!" project there already, as well as one of my own paintings and my Pusheen mermaid. In the next few days I think I am ready to bring up my Halloween decorations, so I am sure that I will change things out soon. I will keep you posted. I wanted a 'fluid' environment where I will be able to enjoy and display many different types of artwork (thus the multi-colored cushions and the white furniture - EVERYTHING will fit in!) and this has been my vision for my workplace here all along. It is not only satisfying, but also very thrilling for me to see it all coming together so nicely. AND it is so organized and functional, too. That 'emotional real estate' that has been planning this has been put to good use, I think.

And my final photo of today - my beautiful girl, Coco:

Cat Cabinetry Felidae Carnivore Comfort


I think that she is very comfortable here, as are my other furry companions. This room alone is about half the size of our entire old apartment. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have so much breathing room and clean working space to create in. I love it!

I will end here today with a progress picture of my Day 8 Maids a-milking ornaments from the "12 Days" series by Lynne Andrews.

Dishware Wood Circle Auto part Art


I finished the main design part of the maids, and only need to do the lettering and the backs, which is just a bucket and some greenery. I am in the home stretch on these and hope to get them out by Monday. I am getting closer to being back on track with them and happy.

I hope you don't mind these 'all over the place' posts. The kind of depict the way my life is. I am often told how organized I am and I appreciate that very much, but I also want you to see that sometimes things aren't as organized as they seem. Sometimes we have to just chip away at the vast amount of things we feel we need to do and free up that emotional real estate step-by-step. It feels great when we even make small strides.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. Happy Thursday to you all! The weekend is just around the corner!
 

Attachments

#12,841 ·
Emotional Real Estate

Did you ever feel that you were running in lots of directions at once? Lately, that is exactly how things have felt for me. I have been busy from the time I wake until the time I finally go to sleep, but have been going from one thing to another to yet another.

I don't think that this is a bad thing at all, really. Because in the process, I am checking off a lot of things that I wanted to get done and in the end, accomplishing a great deal. To the outsider, it may not look like a lot, but when I think of the 'emotional real estate' that I am freeing up, I realize that these little pieces of the puzzle that are slowly falling together are far more important than I initially thought. As each piece finds its place, no matter how small it may be, it allows room for my mind to focus on something else. Ideally that would be designing, and as I check off these small things one by one, I do find that my thoughts are heading towards new designs and ideas for projects. It is a process though, and can't seem to be rushed or forced.

I am certain that many of my colleagues go through this process often - especially when they have changes in their lives. But recognizing that this is just part of 'life' and allowing things to work themselves out is probably the best way to get through things. For someone who is proactive, such as I am, it is not always easy to allow things to run their course. My first reaction is to force things along. But that only seems to raise the anxiety level and make things worse, thus slowing the process overall. I am finding it is best to 'just do what I can' and accept my own limitations and let everything run its course and follow the process. Being patient with myself is what will work best. We are always learning new lessons about life, aren't we? Perhaps mellowing out a little bit isn't a bad thing.

As a result of this, my blogs here may not seem as 'organized' as they have been in the past. I may seem to jump around a little bit more than usual, as even though I am doing lots of small things at once, I still feel many of them merit showing you all and may be of interest. I hope you agree.

I'll start out today with sharing some wonderful things I got from the Artist's Club the other day. They continue to be one of my favorite suppliers of books and art supplies. (And let's face it - whether you paint or do woodwork, you have to love new art supplies, right?)

At this time (until October 9th) they have an offer that includes FREE SHIPPING for all orders over $50. That includes CANADA! They have this promotion a couple of times a year and since my palette paper supply was getting low, I thought that I would dive in and see what else I could treat myself to in order to make the $50 cut. Needless to say, I had little trouble reaching (and exceeding!) that goal and got a variety of cool stuff:

Table Publication Book Material property Font


What a cool array of art supplies! As you see, there were a few books that I picked up. Even though many of the patterns and books that I buy are now digital, I still love seeing the beautiful color photos and holding the books in my hand. The watercolor book was on clearance and has a variety of techniques and lots of information about that medium. I am sure I will learn a great deal from it. The other two books were impulse buys. I liked the projects that were shown on the website and I thought "one day" I may make them. They kind of went along for the ride with the order.

One thing that I am anxious to try are these cool sponge dabbers by Loew-Cornell:

Hand Material property Thumb Packing materials Nail


They are for using with stencilling and for creating interesting backgrounds and they were very inexpensive (under $3 each). There are three different textures available and I got one of each. I will show more of them as I use them and let you all know how I like them.

Another product that I was wanted to purchase was Saral Transfer Paper in grey.

Material property Packaging and labeling Font Publication Box


I have found that while I like the DecoArt transfer paper, it is very, very dark and when I try to buff it down with an eraser, it tends to smudge on the lighter things. The Seral brand is supposed to not smear and hopefully will do a better job. Upon opening the package and trying it with my "12 Days" ornaments last night, I think I will be very happy with it. It is much lighter than the DecoArt paper and still did the job nicely. I am pleased.

Finally, I got this awesome Brush Basin and "stuff" from General products.

Ingredient Cuisine Food Font Sweetness


I didn't really need a new brush basin, as I use empty plastic containers that sour cream comes in usually, but I wanted the stuff that came in it. I have used "The Master's" brush cleaner before and I love it. The Factis eraser is nice and clean and works well with both pencils and transfer paper. I haven't tried the Artist Soap or the Kiss-Off, but I have heard good things about them and thought I would give them a go. If they are anything like the brush cleaner, I should be happy. This "kit" cost about $25 for everything and seeing the cost of the larger brush cleaner is around $15 in itself, I thought it was a good deal. I did use the brush basin last night and I was delighted to see that it has a nice fitting lid for it. Anyone with cats will appreciate that. When I was done or had to move away from my desk, I just popped the lid on and went. My cats tend to pick in my paint water at any opportunity (I know I am not alone in this) and it is good to have something so convenient. The square shape also means it is more stable and less splashing of the water due to bumping. Those of us whose painting table gets 'full' will understand the value of that.

All in all, I am thrilled. I am thinking about what else I can get from them before the free shipping event is up. Perhaps there will be another order in the near future. . . .

One more (somewhat) unrelated thing came that day as well - my October issue of Painting World magazine!

Publication Santa claus Beard Font Facial hair


This is the third issue and their first Ornament Special. There is a great variety of all types of ornaments to paint and I loved it. I think that it is a great publication and they are doing a fine job with it. One day I hope to submit to it when things loosen up a bit for me and I have a bit more time. :)

. . . and now for something completely different . . .

I finished the small curtain on the door to my studio/office.

Window Fixture Paint Wood Building


It may seem like a little thing, but I was so happy to get it done. The door is at the front of our house, and even though most of the traffic is through the side door next to the driveway, I felt like I wanted a bit of privacy when people arrive through the front. While the lace is sheer, it still allows light to come through and I don't feel like I am as much in a fish bowl. (I know - it is weird. But it bugged me.) Sometimes it is the small things that make the biggest difference.

I also finished my small cushion cover for the little bench under the window and got my shelves hung:

Furniture Azure Window Comfort Wood


My room is one step closer to being fully 'complete' now, with only the back and side cushions for the daybed to be made. I need to wait a couple of weeks though to do that so I can purchase the foam when I head up the valley for a 'Fiber Festival' show with my friend - more on that later, though!

I LOVE how my shelves look:

Property Window Azure Comfort Wood


The wall there was screaming for me to hang something there, but I wanted something that I could change out with the seasons. I could have hung the picture there, but then if I decided to put a seasonal picture there later, things would be off centered and it would be unlikely that I would have something the same size there. I saw this shelving group on Amazon.ca and ordered right up. The four staggered shelves will do a great job displaying all sorts of my projects. You can see I put my "Meow, Meow, Boo!" project there already, as well as one of my own paintings and my Pusheen mermaid. In the next few days I think I am ready to bring up my Halloween decorations, so I am sure that I will change things out soon. I will keep you posted. I wanted a 'fluid' environment where I will be able to enjoy and display many different types of artwork (thus the multi-colored cushions and the white furniture - EVERYTHING will fit in!) and this has been my vision for my workplace here all along. It is not only satisfying, but also very thrilling for me to see it all coming together so nicely. AND it is so organized and functional, too. That 'emotional real estate' that has been planning this has been put to good use, I think.

And my final photo of today - my beautiful girl, Coco:

Cat Cabinetry Felidae Carnivore Comfort


I think that she is very comfortable here, as are my other furry companions. This room alone is about half the size of our entire old apartment. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have so much breathing room and clean working space to create in. I love it!

I will end here today with a progress picture of my Day 8 Maids a-milking ornaments from the "12 Days" series by Lynne Andrews.

Dishware Wood Circle Auto part Art


I finished the main design part of the maids, and only need to do the lettering and the backs, which is just a bucket and some greenery. I am in the home stretch on these and hope to get them out by Monday. I am getting closer to being back on track with them and happy.

I hope you don't mind these 'all over the place' posts. The kind of depict the way my life is. I am often told how organized I am and I appreciate that very much, but I also want you to see that sometimes things aren't as organized as they seem. Sometimes we have to just chip away at the vast amount of things we feel we need to do and free up that emotional real estate step-by-step. It feels great when we even make small strides.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. Happy Thursday to you all! The weekend is just around the corner!
Lots of cool products and projects Shelia ,you certainly keep very busy, thanks for sharing.
 

Attachments

#12,847 ·
Seeing Things Differently

I really love designing. Whether it is scroll saw projects, painting projects or even needlework, I like taking ideas that I have in my head and making them into reality. Sometimes people wonder how I began doing design work, but that is a difficult thing for me to answer. If the term "designing" means changing things up and 'not following the rules or instructions' for a particular project, then I suppose I have been designing most of my life. It seems I always had the ability to look at something and see it in a different way. For the most part, I have used patterns as a springboard for making something else. I adjust things to my own liking and taste and many times, the finished item doesn't resemble the original piece very much. I suppose when it got to the point that I was doing my own thing far more than following the directions given, I grew into being a 'designer'. That is as close as I could be to pinpointing things.

There is a difference however between altering a design by someone else and coming up with a design you can claim as your own. In the grey area of copyrights, one needs to be extremely careful these days. While the internet offers many sources of 'inspiration' for new projects, there is sometimes a very fine line between being 'inspired' and actually copying. I know people can look things up and argue points such as "if it is XX% different, it is allowed" or some other silly statement like that. After all, in artwork how can you accurately place a 'percentage' on an amount of change that is done to a design? I think it is pretty much impossible.

To me, if something still resembles another design very closely, than there is probably no way the new 'designer' can claim it as their own. There is no scientific calculation or reasoning when it comes to this concept, and you can imagine that the opinions of what the term "resembles" defines will be as broad and varied as the number of people chiming in. But one needs to have developed a conscience and a sense of 'right' and 'wrong' and know in their hearts whether the great and wonderful new idea they have come up with is their own, or just a copy of someone else's. I believe it is defined by ones' own moral compass.

But one thing I have noticed - those designers that claim their own designs when they are clearly creating 'knock-offs' of others' original pieces seem to come and go fairly quickly. They tap their sources and ride the waves of the temporary success they find in making something that clearly (to some) is not original, and then when that wave passes, they slide back into the ocean of others who have done the same, never to be heard of again.

Does that sound harsh? In rereading it, I think it may be. But it is a subject that as I designer I am passionate about and I have seen many of my talented friends scarred by the type of people that I just described. I, myself have also fell victim to copycats, but have neither the means of time to fight the culprit(s). I have learned that my best defense is to move on and do something else. While in some peoples' eyes that may appear that I am giving in, I have seen over and over again that these people are not only recognized by others for what they are, but also run out of steam fairly quickly and move on to something else. Patience is very much my friend in these situations. I will be very honest when I say that I do find satisfaction when they do eventually fall.

That doesn't mean that we just roll over and allow people to take our designs at will. We do everything possible to protect ourselves, from watermarking our photos to posting lower resolution pictures on our site. I find, too that my reach here through my blog also does much towards adding claim to our designs. People see the posts and know our work and word gets out quickly when someone is trying to violate our copyrights. It is a wonderful part of being in the artistic communities - both painting and woodworking - and helps keep things on the level.

We are often asked by our customers if they can alter or change our designs for their own personal use or to sell at fairs and sales. I realize that some designers frown upon this, but both Keith and I are thrilled to see what others do with our designs. Many times when we see the alterations done by others, it serves as a springboard for new designs or ideas that we develop. Most of the time, those doing the alterations are just changing things up so that our designs are better suited to their needs. I do this myself much of the time with both woodworking and painting patterns that I have bought.

As an example, the Lynne Andrews ornament set that I am painting were originally done by Lynne on porcelain surfaces. While they were beautiful, for my own needs they weren't practical. Each porcelain ornament cost about $6 plus the shipping to Canada. Since I am creating six sets, that would be 72 that I would have to purchase and ship. Not to mention that each one that I gave to those in the USA would have to be shipped back to the recipients. It would not only be costly, but also the chances of them breaking or getting damaged would be high. I doubt that even one of the five recipients would wind up with a full set - or myself for that matter, as I am sometimes a bit clumsy. I thought that doing them on wood would be a far better choice for my purposes. And it has worked out well. But every time I post photos of them, I try to remember to watermark them with LYNNE'S information, not mine. While I did alter the pattern to my own needs, I in no way wanted people to think that I was claiming the design as my own. It is the right thing to do and I believe, the right way to do things. I also did this with the Peggy Harris Cinderalla Mouse project. And Kim Christmas's cute "Meow, Meow, Boo" project that I did last week. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) I want to be a credible and honorable designer in my own rite. While I enjoy doing other artist's designs, I don't for a minute want others to think that they are my work or that I am claiming them as my own. If mistakes are made and people complement me on MY design when it is someone else's, I quickly correct them and make it known who the designer is. It is called "integrity".

With all of that said, I wanted to share with you something that was sent to me yesterday. A woodworking customer (and friend) of ours named Edward Orr sent me some photos of some wonderful alterations that he did to one of my designs. He started with my SLD531 Set of 8 Gothic Cross Ornaments pattern:

Gold Cross Font Religious item Red


He then took the crosses and put his own spin on them and I think they came out beautiful. He cut them out in different sizes as the pattern showed:

Gold Religious item Art Ornament Font


Then he cut out just the out frames for an entirely new look:

Plant Font Symbol Pattern Metal


I thought the result was fabulous! It gave a new look to the pattern that I never even would have thought of. I can think of so many wonderful ways to use these pieces - from framing to overlays to even making smaller jewelry pieces. It started an entirely different thought process in my mind and I am thinking not only about this process for additional crosses down the line, but other shapes as well.

Most important, it was really nice to see someone who used and enjoyed our patterns so much. To me, that is what designing something is all about. I love to help supply the means for other people's creativity and pleasure. It makes me feel like I am contributing something positive to this sometimes chaotic world.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this as much as I did. I also hope that it gave you some ideas as to how we designers feel. I know I am not alone in encouraging others to have fun with my designs. I realize that some designer have strict regulations as to what you can do with their patterns, and you do need to contact each one individually and respect their guidelines, but I do also think that for the most part, as long as you don't claim your alterations as your own design and give credit where credit is due (to the original designer) most designers are thrilled that you are enjoying their work in that way and are happy to be an inspiration to you. I am, anyway.

It is a bright and sunny day here in Nova Scotia. On this last day of September, I noticed quite a bit of frost this morning. I spent part of yesterday planting my many mum plants into the ground and I am happy that I did. I believe they may survive a bit longer there. I will hopefully take a photo over the weekend, as the house looks nice with the splashes of bright blooms surrounding it.

I wish you all a nice weekend ahead. I am going to do some drawing, some more house projects and some additional craft projects. Maybe I will cook as well. It will be a 'typical' weekend for me and I like that. I hope you enjoy your weekend as well.

Happy Friday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,848 ·
Seeing Things Differently

I really love designing. Whether it is scroll saw projects, painting projects or even needlework, I like taking ideas that I have in my head and making them into reality. Sometimes people wonder how I began doing design work, but that is a difficult thing for me to answer. If the term "designing" means changing things up and 'not following the rules or instructions' for a particular project, then I suppose I have been designing most of my life. It seems I always had the ability to look at something and see it in a different way. For the most part, I have used patterns as a springboard for making something else. I adjust things to my own liking and taste and many times, the finished item doesn't resemble the original piece very much. I suppose when it got to the point that I was doing my own thing far more than following the directions given, I grew into being a 'designer'. That is as close as I could be to pinpointing things.

There is a difference however between altering a design by someone else and coming up with a design you can claim as your own. In the grey area of copyrights, one needs to be extremely careful these days. While the internet offers many sources of 'inspiration' for new projects, there is sometimes a very fine line between being 'inspired' and actually copying. I know people can look things up and argue points such as "if it is XX% different, it is allowed" or some other silly statement like that. After all, in artwork how can you accurately place a 'percentage' on an amount of change that is done to a design? I think it is pretty much impossible.

To me, if something still resembles another design very closely, than there is probably no way the new 'designer' can claim it as their own. There is no scientific calculation or reasoning when it comes to this concept, and you can imagine that the opinions of what the term "resembles" defines will be as broad and varied as the number of people chiming in. But one needs to have developed a conscience and a sense of 'right' and 'wrong' and know in their hearts whether the great and wonderful new idea they have come up with is their own, or just a copy of someone else's. I believe it is defined by ones' own moral compass.

But one thing I have noticed - those designers that claim their own designs when they are clearly creating 'knock-offs' of others' original pieces seem to come and go fairly quickly. They tap their sources and ride the waves of the temporary success they find in making something that clearly (to some) is not original, and then when that wave passes, they slide back into the ocean of others who have done the same, never to be heard of again.

Does that sound harsh? In rereading it, I think it may be. But it is a subject that as I designer I am passionate about and I have seen many of my talented friends scarred by the type of people that I just described. I, myself have also fell victim to copycats, but have neither the means of time to fight the culprit(s). I have learned that my best defense is to move on and do something else. While in some peoples' eyes that may appear that I am giving in, I have seen over and over again that these people are not only recognized by others for what they are, but also run out of steam fairly quickly and move on to something else. Patience is very much my friend in these situations. I will be very honest when I say that I do find satisfaction when they do eventually fall.

That doesn't mean that we just roll over and allow people to take our designs at will. We do everything possible to protect ourselves, from watermarking our photos to posting lower resolution pictures on our site. I find, too that my reach here through my blog also does much towards adding claim to our designs. People see the posts and know our work and word gets out quickly when someone is trying to violate our copyrights. It is a wonderful part of being in the artistic communities - both painting and woodworking - and helps keep things on the level.

We are often asked by our customers if they can alter or change our designs for their own personal use or to sell at fairs and sales. I realize that some designers frown upon this, but both Keith and I are thrilled to see what others do with our designs. Many times when we see the alterations done by others, it serves as a springboard for new designs or ideas that we develop. Most of the time, those doing the alterations are just changing things up so that our designs are better suited to their needs. I do this myself much of the time with both woodworking and painting patterns that I have bought.

As an example, the Lynne Andrews ornament set that I am painting were originally done by Lynne on porcelain surfaces. While they were beautiful, for my own needs they weren't practical. Each porcelain ornament cost about $6 plus the shipping to Canada. Since I am creating six sets, that would be 72 that I would have to purchase and ship. Not to mention that each one that I gave to those in the USA would have to be shipped back to the recipients. It would not only be costly, but also the chances of them breaking or getting damaged would be high. I doubt that even one of the five recipients would wind up with a full set - or myself for that matter, as I am sometimes a bit clumsy. I thought that doing them on wood would be a far better choice for my purposes. And it has worked out well. But every time I post photos of them, I try to remember to watermark them with LYNNE'S information, not mine. While I did alter the pattern to my own needs, I in no way wanted people to think that I was claiming the design as my own. It is the right thing to do and I believe, the right way to do things. I also did this with the Peggy Harris Cinderalla Mouse project. And Kim Christmas's cute "Meow, Meow, Boo" project that I did last week. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) I want to be a credible and honorable designer in my own rite. While I enjoy doing other artist's designs, I don't for a minute want others to think that they are my work or that I am claiming them as my own. If mistakes are made and people complement me on MY design when it is someone else's, I quickly correct them and make it known who the designer is. It is called "integrity".

With all of that said, I wanted to share with you something that was sent to me yesterday. A woodworking customer (and friend) of ours named Edward Orr sent me some photos of some wonderful alterations that he did to one of my designs. He started with my SLD531 Set of 8 Gothic Cross Ornaments pattern:

Gold Cross Font Religious item Red


He then took the crosses and put his own spin on them and I think they came out beautiful. He cut them out in different sizes as the pattern showed:

Gold Religious item Art Ornament Font


Then he cut out just the out frames for an entirely new look:

Plant Font Symbol Pattern Metal


I thought the result was fabulous! It gave a new look to the pattern that I never even would have thought of. I can think of so many wonderful ways to use these pieces - from framing to overlays to even making smaller jewelry pieces. It started an entirely different thought process in my mind and I am thinking not only about this process for additional crosses down the line, but other shapes as well.

Most important, it was really nice to see someone who used and enjoyed our patterns so much. To me, that is what designing something is all about. I love to help supply the means for other people's creativity and pleasure. It makes me feel like I am contributing something positive to this sometimes chaotic world.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this as much as I did. I also hope that it gave you some ideas as to how we designers feel. I know I am not alone in encouraging others to have fun with my designs. I realize that some designer have strict regulations as to what you can do with their patterns, and you do need to contact each one individually and respect their guidelines, but I do also think that for the most part, as long as you don't claim your alterations as your own design and give credit where credit is due (to the original designer) most designers are thrilled that you are enjoying their work in that way and are happy to be an inspiration to you. I am, anyway.

It is a bright and sunny day here in Nova Scotia. On this last day of September, I noticed quite a bit of frost this morning. I spent part of yesterday planting my many mum plants into the ground and I am happy that I did. I believe they may survive a bit longer there. I will hopefully take a photo over the weekend, as the house looks nice with the splashes of bright blooms surrounding it.

I wish you all a nice weekend ahead. I am going to do some drawing, some more house projects and some additional craft projects. Maybe I will cook as well. It will be a 'typical' weekend for me and I like that. I hope you enjoy your weekend as well.

Happy Friday to you all!
Hi Sheila, I totally agree with you when it comes to using another person's designs. The original designer should be given credit for the work even when adding your own spin to the design. I admire your and Keith's generosity in allowing your customers to change your designs for their own needs - a lot of designers don't allow this which is their right. Designers, writer, artists of any genre and anyone who sells their designs to the public have to be so aware of copyright and protecting their work.
Have a great weekend. Beautiful and sunny here today too :)
 

Attachments

#12,858 ·
Settling In

It was a crazy/busy weekend. That means it went perfectly with my crazy/busy life of late.

As usual, there is just so much I want to accomplish and only 24 meager hours per day to fit everything in. And for some reason - those hours seem to get shorter every year. I think it is some kind of trick . . .

I am writing later than usual today because I have already been to the gym and back. I am not usually one of those who boasts about my gym visits, but lately, whenever I can make it there I feel very 'accomplished'. Keith has taken to go with his buddy later in the day, and I don't like going at that time because I like putting it behind me as soon as I can so I can focus on other things. Besides - you all know that I am a 'morning person' and I like to hit the ground running as soon as the sun comes up. (Maybe even a little bit before on a perfect day. ) I just kind of want to explain for those of you who read early and are used to having me post quite early. I may need to change things up for a while and get my 'outside stuff' done first. Otherwise, I seem to never get it done.

Since we moved here, things have been quite in an upheaval, as I probably mentioned too many times. That isn't to say they are bad, but just "different". Old routines are out the window as new ones are developing and responsibilities and commitments shift. That is part of life. Our lives are all like a kaleidoscope in a sense. They are always moving and shifting and changing with every moment. We need to embrace these changes as exciting challenges that enrich our lives and make them fun and interesting. While looking back is nice and comforting, looking ahead and wondering what will come can be fun and exciting. It is for me, anyway.

Still - breaking the habit of posting my blog before 9am my time doesn't always come easy. Sometimes I feel a bit of guilt. (I know - crazy, right?) I feel as if I should be doing more and getting up earlier and being more organized etc., etc. . . . But that is really not a good way to be and I need to allow myself a break. Things are NOT the same as they were. With a larger home comes more responsibility. Not to mention the initial organization and settling in. I don't think that there should be a time limit on how long it takes to get settled. By definition, the phrase 'being settled' is vague in itself. It means different things to different people and is something that is quite personal. To me, being settled means being comfortable, functional and productive. While I know I am getting there, I also know that there is still much to do and some things may take months to complete. I need to give myself a break and look at each baby step of progress as good. It is the best way to approach it, I think.

With that said, I will get to the point of today's post - to show you what Keith and I have been up to this weekend. As always, we love to share what we do in hopes of getting your own creative juices flowing. We love to see that happen!

On Saturday, I decided since most of my downstairs was finished to a point where I did, indeed feel 'settled', I decided to haul out my Halloween decorations and set them up. I must say, I have quite a lot of fun things! From mostly my own creations to those given to me or purchased by me from my very talented and artistic friends.

I laid everything out on the table to asses things and figure what would go where. (That is my 'event coordinator' Pancakes in the back, helping as always!)

Table Decoration Textile Tablecloth Cucurbita


Not only was the table filled, bit both sideboards as well . . .

Table Orange Pumpkin Calabaza Art


I had a great time finding the right place for everything, and it really went up rather quickly. I was going to give the grand tour of where everything wound up, but I think I will do that throughout the week and show you the finished pictures in subsequent blogs. It will give you something to read about and see later on . . . (Yes- I can be MEAN!)

I also worked on my '12 Days' ornaments and completed "Day 8". I am taking the final photos of them today and sending them off tomorrow. Only four more days to go! :D

Finally, I spent the latter part of yesterday cutting orders and I will be sending them all out today. I had a busy order weekend and I am happy to say that I used both my reserves as well as had new things ordered. I got to spend yesterday afternoon in my wonderful shop cutting and creating some cute pieces for others to paint. It made me happy.

Keith was busy as well, and he finished the design for one plaque (SLDK689 Haunted Halloween Plaque) and is working on another.

Sleeve Wood Font T-shirt Rectangle


The pattern is now available on our site, and he is drawing another piece that you will also love that should be posted in the next few days. I am working on some new patterns for scrolling as well as for painting, but there isn't enough to show you yet. I am sure I will have something in the next few days for you to see.

So it is all good and busy.

As we begin this first full week of October, I realize just how quickly this year is going by. Once again, I have several designs that I have in my head that haven't yet come to be. Some are seasonal and will need to wait until 'next' year to be created. But that really isn't a bad thing. Perhaps I will be able to get a jump on things and really be ahead of things then. I should be 'settled in' by then. :)

One can hope . . .

Have a wonderful Monday!
 

Attachments

#12,859 ·
Settling In

It was a crazy/busy weekend. That means it went perfectly with my crazy/busy life of late.

As usual, there is just so much I want to accomplish and only 24 meager hours per day to fit everything in. And for some reason - those hours seem to get shorter every year. I think it is some kind of trick . . .

I am writing later than usual today because I have already been to the gym and back. I am not usually one of those who boasts about my gym visits, but lately, whenever I can make it there I feel very 'accomplished'. Keith has taken to go with his buddy later in the day, and I don't like going at that time because I like putting it behind me as soon as I can so I can focus on other things. Besides - you all know that I am a 'morning person' and I like to hit the ground running as soon as the sun comes up. (Maybe even a little bit before on a perfect day. ) I just kind of want to explain for those of you who read early and are used to having me post quite early. I may need to change things up for a while and get my 'outside stuff' done first. Otherwise, I seem to never get it done.

Since we moved here, things have been quite in an upheaval, as I probably mentioned too many times. That isn't to say they are bad, but just "different". Old routines are out the window as new ones are developing and responsibilities and commitments shift. That is part of life. Our lives are all like a kaleidoscope in a sense. They are always moving and shifting and changing with every moment. We need to embrace these changes as exciting challenges that enrich our lives and make them fun and interesting. While looking back is nice and comforting, looking ahead and wondering what will come can be fun and exciting. It is for me, anyway.

Still - breaking the habit of posting my blog before 9am my time doesn't always come easy. Sometimes I feel a bit of guilt. (I know - crazy, right?) I feel as if I should be doing more and getting up earlier and being more organized etc., etc. . . . But that is really not a good way to be and I need to allow myself a break. Things are NOT the same as they were. With a larger home comes more responsibility. Not to mention the initial organization and settling in. I don't think that there should be a time limit on how long it takes to get settled. By definition, the phrase 'being settled' is vague in itself. It means different things to different people and is something that is quite personal. To me, being settled means being comfortable, functional and productive. While I know I am getting there, I also know that there is still much to do and some things may take months to complete. I need to give myself a break and look at each baby step of progress as good. It is the best way to approach it, I think.

With that said, I will get to the point of today's post - to show you what Keith and I have been up to this weekend. As always, we love to share what we do in hopes of getting your own creative juices flowing. We love to see that happen!

On Saturday, I decided since most of my downstairs was finished to a point where I did, indeed feel 'settled', I decided to haul out my Halloween decorations and set them up. I must say, I have quite a lot of fun things! From mostly my own creations to those given to me or purchased by me from my very talented and artistic friends.

I laid everything out on the table to asses things and figure what would go where. (That is my 'event coordinator' Pancakes in the back, helping as always!)

Table Decoration Textile Tablecloth Cucurbita


Not only was the table filled, bit both sideboards as well . . .

Table Orange Pumpkin Calabaza Art


I had a great time finding the right place for everything, and it really went up rather quickly. I was going to give the grand tour of where everything wound up, but I think I will do that throughout the week and show you the finished pictures in subsequent blogs. It will give you something to read about and see later on . . . (Yes- I can be MEAN!)

I also worked on my '12 Days' ornaments and completed "Day 8". I am taking the final photos of them today and sending them off tomorrow. Only four more days to go! :D

Finally, I spent the latter part of yesterday cutting orders and I will be sending them all out today. I had a busy order weekend and I am happy to say that I used both my reserves as well as had new things ordered. I got to spend yesterday afternoon in my wonderful shop cutting and creating some cute pieces for others to paint. It made me happy.

Keith was busy as well, and he finished the design for one plaque (SLDK689 Haunted Halloween Plaque) and is working on another.

Sleeve Wood Font T-shirt Rectangle


The pattern is now available on our site, and he is drawing another piece that you will also love that should be posted in the next few days. I am working on some new patterns for scrolling as well as for painting, but there isn't enough to show you yet. I am sure I will have something in the next few days for you to see.

So it is all good and busy.

As we begin this first full week of October, I realize just how quickly this year is going by. Once again, I have several designs that I have in my head that haven't yet come to be. Some are seasonal and will need to wait until 'next' year to be created. But that really isn't a bad thing. Perhaps I will be able to get a jump on things and really be ahead of things then. I should be 'settled in' by then. :)

One can hope . . .

Have a wonderful Monday!
The pumpkins look impressive! how did you make them?
Thumbs up for Keith's halloween scroll work!
 

Attachments

#12,865 ·
A Crime of Passion

(Before anyone gets upset - This is just a fun story!)

I awoke this morning just as I did any other 'normal' day. It wasn't quite daylight yet and the sun was just beginning to peek over the eastern horizon. As it gently but persistently began to illuminate the morning sky, I knew it was time to begin my day.

I openend my bedroom door to see what my cat, Richard had left me today. Lately, for the past week or so, he has been depositing my little knit Pusheen toy at the threshold to greet me each day. It is his way of telling me he loves me and I found it quite endearing.

Prior to this new ritual of leaving the Pusheen toy, on occasion he brought his stuffed kitty he sleeps with to share. But since he discovered the little Pusheen that was given as a gift to me a week or so ago, it has been his 'gift of choice'.

Richard is somewhat odd like that. In many ways, he is very - um - "doglike" in his actions. He is definitely the smartest of my three cats (don't tell the others I said that) and has a good grasp of language and understanding. In all of my years with cats, I have never felt that I connected as much as I do with him.

Richard has always loved stuffed animals and toys. In the 'old days' I used to have a 12" large stuffed snail (Gary - from the "Spongebob" cartoon) that my kids had given me. When I lived alone in Digby, I would sometimes find it 'out' or in different rooms than I had it. This struck me as odd, as there was no one else in the house that would move it. Sometimes it would be in the middle of the kitchen floor when I awoke in the morning. I must say, it creeped me out. But then one day, I saw Richard dragging it across the house in his mouth. Richard is a cat of 'normal cat size' and the toy was actually larger than him, so you could imagine my amazement seeing the large snail moving quickly across the room. It is definitely something that I wouldn't have believe had I not seen it with my own eyes. From that point on, I believed anything was possible as far as Richard goes.

So this morning when I opened the bedroom door and saw "The Kitty", I just though that Richard was mixing it up. He sleeps with the kitty on the daybed lately and maybe he was too lazy to venture to my desk to grab the little Pusheen.

But when I came downstairs to start my day, I found that little Push was missing! Her usual spot at Frankie's feet was empty and she was simply gone!

Creative arts Sleeve Rectangle Art Woolen


I am kind of embarrassed to admit the amount of time I spent this morning hunting for her. She is nowhere to be found. It isn't as if we have lots of places where she could be hidden. Things are neat here and there are no piles or places for her to hid. I am truly baffled.

As I look over to the daybed, I see that Richard had a 'look' on his little furry face. His "Kitty" won't even look me in the eye:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Fawn


Coco and Pancakes are acting as if nothing happened, and to be honest, their only concern was their early morning meal. I doubt that they were involved. (I seriously don't know if they have the 'brain power' to pull something like this off.

"The Kitty" is another story . . .

White Textile Mammal Red Fawn


He looks a bit too smug to me.

Jealously can be a powerful motive. Especially among the stuffed-toy community. I am thinking that The Kitty's blue eyes (for the moment at least) turned quite a shade of green, as little Pusheen became Richard's gift of choice to me these past few days. However, because of The Kitty's limited mobility, I have to theorize that this had to be a conspiracy between both The Kitty AND Richard. It is at this point quite baffling to me.

Crimes of Passion.

They are real.

I will definitely keep you all posted on the status of the investigation. I hope that no harm has come to Little Pusheen. My desk looks a bit empty without her.

On other news today, I wanted to show you all Keith's new plaque for Halloween:

Sleeve Rectangle Font T-shirt Wood


I love this welcome sign! It is cool and classy and came out just lovely! You can get the pattern here - SLDK690 - Trick or Treat Welcome Sign - on our site.

It is another brisk morning here in Nova Scotia. The trees are really beginning to show some color and there is a definite layer of frost on the cars and grass each morning. But for the last several days, these cool mornings warm up to some simply beautiful afternoons.

I will be drawing today, as I had began some designs and then I wound up scrapping them and starting over. Yes - that happens to all of us. What we are seeing in our heads doesn't always translate to paper perfectly. But I think I am on the right track now and I hope to have something to show you tomorrow. It has been quite a busy week and I have accomplished a great deal even though there seems as if I have little to show for it. Sometimes the 'mental work' is the most productive.

After going through my first four hours of the day yesterday thinking it was Tuesday (It was WEDNESDAY!) I am pretty certain on the day of the week today. I wish you all a good day and hope you have a fun and creative one. Hopefully I will find my Little Pusheen and my mystery will be solved.

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,866 ·
A Crime of Passion

(Before anyone gets upset - This is just a fun story!)

I awoke this morning just as I did any other 'normal' day. It wasn't quite daylight yet and the sun was just beginning to peek over the eastern horizon. As it gently but persistently began to illuminate the morning sky, I knew it was time to begin my day.

I openend my bedroom door to see what my cat, Richard had left me today. Lately, for the past week or so, he has been depositing my little knit Pusheen toy at the threshold to greet me each day. It is his way of telling me he loves me and I found it quite endearing.

Prior to this new ritual of leaving the Pusheen toy, on occasion he brought his stuffed kitty he sleeps with to share. But since he discovered the little Pusheen that was given as a gift to me a week or so ago, it has been his 'gift of choice'.

Richard is somewhat odd like that. In many ways, he is very - um - "doglike" in his actions. He is definitely the smartest of my three cats (don't tell the others I said that) and has a good grasp of language and understanding. In all of my years with cats, I have never felt that I connected as much as I do with him.

Richard has always loved stuffed animals and toys. In the 'old days' I used to have a 12" large stuffed snail (Gary - from the "Spongebob" cartoon) that my kids had given me. When I lived alone in Digby, I would sometimes find it 'out' or in different rooms than I had it. This struck me as odd, as there was no one else in the house that would move it. Sometimes it would be in the middle of the kitchen floor when I awoke in the morning. I must say, it creeped me out. But then one day, I saw Richard dragging it across the house in his mouth. Richard is a cat of 'normal cat size' and the toy was actually larger than him, so you could imagine my amazement seeing the large snail moving quickly across the room. It is definitely something that I wouldn't have believe had I not seen it with my own eyes. From that point on, I believed anything was possible as far as Richard goes.

So this morning when I opened the bedroom door and saw "The Kitty", I just though that Richard was mixing it up. He sleeps with the kitty on the daybed lately and maybe he was too lazy to venture to my desk to grab the little Pusheen.

But when I came downstairs to start my day, I found that little Push was missing! Her usual spot at Frankie's feet was empty and she was simply gone!

Creative arts Sleeve Rectangle Art Woolen


I am kind of embarrassed to admit the amount of time I spent this morning hunting for her. She is nowhere to be found. It isn't as if we have lots of places where she could be hidden. Things are neat here and there are no piles or places for her to hid. I am truly baffled.

As I look over to the daybed, I see that Richard had a 'look' on his little furry face. His "Kitty" won't even look me in the eye:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Fawn


Coco and Pancakes are acting as if nothing happened, and to be honest, their only concern was their early morning meal. I doubt that they were involved. (I seriously don't know if they have the 'brain power' to pull something like this off.

"The Kitty" is another story . . .

White Textile Mammal Red Fawn


He looks a bit too smug to me.

Jealously can be a powerful motive. Especially among the stuffed-toy community. I am thinking that The Kitty's blue eyes (for the moment at least) turned quite a shade of green, as little Pusheen became Richard's gift of choice to me these past few days. However, because of The Kitty's limited mobility, I have to theorize that this had to be a conspiracy between both The Kitty AND Richard. It is at this point quite baffling to me.

Crimes of Passion.

They are real.

I will definitely keep you all posted on the status of the investigation. I hope that no harm has come to Little Pusheen. My desk looks a bit empty without her.

On other news today, I wanted to show you all Keith's new plaque for Halloween:

Sleeve Rectangle Font T-shirt Wood


I love this welcome sign! It is cool and classy and came out just lovely! You can get the pattern here - SLDK690 - Trick or Treat Welcome Sign - on our site.

It is another brisk morning here in Nova Scotia. The trees are really beginning to show some color and there is a definite layer of frost on the cars and grass each morning. But for the last several days, these cool mornings warm up to some simply beautiful afternoons.

I will be drawing today, as I had began some designs and then I wound up scrapping them and starting over. Yes - that happens to all of us. What we are seeing in our heads doesn't always translate to paper perfectly. But I think I am on the right track now and I hope to have something to show you tomorrow. It has been quite a busy week and I have accomplished a great deal even though there seems as if I have little to show for it. Sometimes the 'mental work' is the most productive.

After going through my first four hours of the day yesterday thinking it was Tuesday (It was WEDNESDAY!) I am pretty certain on the day of the week today. I wish you all a good day and hope you have a fun and creative one. Hopefully I will find my Little Pusheen and my mystery will be solved.

Happy Thursday to you all!
LOL…........Felines are so entertaining. Gr8 story. Have a gr8 day
 

Attachments

#12,871 ·
Mystery SOLVED!

I am happy to report today that the "Mystery of the Missing Little Pusheen" has been SOLVED! (I know that you all have probably lost sleep over it! ;) ) It seems that when Keith awoke and got out of bed, there was the little toy snuggled into the covers with him! Apparently, Richard my kitty had brought me the Little Pusheen earlier and then left the ADDITIONAL Kitty at the doorway after Keith came to bed and the door was closed. So he really had brought me TWO toys that night! I am truly loved!

Textile Sleeve Grey Comfort Toy


I am happy that I stayed with the "innocent until proven guilty" mindset while doing the investigation. Otherwise, I would have felt bad had I admonished him prematurely only to later find that the only crime he was guilty of was loving me! I suppose we can learn a lesson in just about anything, can't we.

The rest of the day was somewhat uneventful, with me spending the afternoon working on my new scroll saw pattern. Here is a little hint of what is yet to come:

White Organism Gesture Font Art


I am rather excited about this designs now that I have a clear direction that I am heading with it. It will be a fun and new style of project for me to do and I hope my customers like it as well. I plan on working on it and finishing up the drawing today so I have a good photo of it for you next time. You will have to come back and see. ;)

In other work, I spent the evening working on my "Day 9" ornaments of Lynne Andrews' "12 Days of Christmas" series from her Christmas Blessings books. (Links are all live if you want to check them out.) I need to speed along with these in order to keep on my personal timeline for them.

The other day I base coated the six ornaments and transferred the main design:

Green Computer keyboard Baked goods Recipe Baking cup


The "Ladies Dancing" are all based and the fun stuff is next:

Office equipment Office supplies Yellow Food Cake decorating supply


I only finished one of the skirts before I pooped out though -

Food Cake decorating supply Dishware Font Art


But I am still doing OK and hope to keep moving with them. I just have to remain focused. :)

I awoke this morning to what is becoming my usual greeting - Little Pusheen at my doorstep. I was happy to see her there and it is a wonderful feeling to be loved so much by my cat, Richard. It is a great way to start the day and a wonderful testament of his fondness for me. It is all good.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. I will be working on my project(s) all weekend long. I have several that I am doing at once as well as orders to cut. It will be a very busy time for me.

I hope you have a great one, too and that those of my followers who are in the path of Matthew are safe.

Happy Friday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,872 ·
Mystery SOLVED!

I am happy to report today that the "Mystery of the Missing Little Pusheen" has been SOLVED! (I know that you all have probably lost sleep over it! ;) ) It seems that when Keith awoke and got out of bed, there was the little toy snuggled into the covers with him! Apparently, Richard my kitty had brought me the Little Pusheen earlier and then left the ADDITIONAL Kitty at the doorway after Keith came to bed and the door was closed. So he really had brought me TWO toys that night! I am truly loved!

Textile Sleeve Grey Comfort Toy


I am happy that I stayed with the "innocent until proven guilty" mindset while doing the investigation. Otherwise, I would have felt bad had I admonished him prematurely only to later find that the only crime he was guilty of was loving me! I suppose we can learn a lesson in just about anything, can't we.

The rest of the day was somewhat uneventful, with me spending the afternoon working on my new scroll saw pattern. Here is a little hint of what is yet to come:

White Organism Gesture Font Art


I am rather excited about this designs now that I have a clear direction that I am heading with it. It will be a fun and new style of project for me to do and I hope my customers like it as well. I plan on working on it and finishing up the drawing today so I have a good photo of it for you next time. You will have to come back and see. ;)

In other work, I spent the evening working on my "Day 9" ornaments of Lynne Andrews' "12 Days of Christmas" series from her Christmas Blessings books. (Links are all live if you want to check them out.) I need to speed along with these in order to keep on my personal timeline for them.

The other day I base coated the six ornaments and transferred the main design:

Green Computer keyboard Baked goods Recipe Baking cup


The "Ladies Dancing" are all based and the fun stuff is next:

Office equipment Office supplies Yellow Food Cake decorating supply


I only finished one of the skirts before I pooped out though -

Food Cake decorating supply Dishware Font Art


But I am still doing OK and hope to keep moving with them. I just have to remain focused. :)

I awoke this morning to what is becoming my usual greeting - Little Pusheen at my doorstep. I was happy to see her there and it is a wonderful feeling to be loved so much by my cat, Richard. It is a great way to start the day and a wonderful testament of his fondness for me. It is all good.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. I will be working on my project(s) all weekend long. I have several that I am doing at once as well as orders to cut. It will be a very busy time for me.

I hope you have a great one, too and that those of my followers who are in the path of Matthew are safe.

Happy Friday to you all!
And you are loved by all for 1786 reasons
 

Attachments

#12,877 ·
First Snow of the Year

I woke up this morning to a light blanket of white snow. It isn't the soft, fluffy snow that you see in movies though. It is the wet snow that was almost rain and by the time you see it on the ground, it is more like slush than anything. The streets are clear, as they are too warm for it to stick, but they are deceptively slippery. Winter is definitely knocking at the door.

It is still falling now as I write, but it is more of a chunky rain than snow. The sun just came up but there is layer of gray clouds so it is impossible to see. It is going to be a sloppy and wet day, it appears.

Last night while driving home from dinner (which was yummy!) it was nice to see how many people already had their holiday decorations up. The mild weather must have encouraged people to get on with their outdoor decorating, as it seemed to me that there were quite a bit more displays up than I recalled from last year. I love driving at night. Maybe because it is easier on my eyes. But it always seems so different in the dark, especially living in the country.

Recently we took one of our daily walks in the evening and it amazed me how different things seemed, even though we were on the path that were had walked so many times before. We only had a small flashlight with us though and in the future I think that a larger one would be in order. We stayed on the path for that walk, which is less than a dirt road but more than an undefined trail, and it was an entirely different experience.

I want to continue the daily walks throughout the winter, weather permitting. I think it will be good for me to get out every day and not only get some exercise and fresh air, but clear my mind. I have some wonderful hiking boots that are comfortable and waterproof and I know if I dress in layers that the hour or so in the cold won't be a problem. I will try to remember once in a while to take pictures, so you all can see the beautiful landscape that I live in. It will probably inspire many of you also.

I did some organizational stuff yesterday. I always feel good when things are in place. I feel that I am most productive in that type of environment, especially with living in such a small place.

Today will be a day of further organization and I need to get a project done. I had promised Bernie's sister that I would make her a pair of earrings like I had given to Ellen several years ago. They were little wooden cardinals that I made out of birch plywood and hand-painted. Because they are quite small (only about an inch in diameter) there isn't a lot of detail, but there is enough to make them look nice. When I met her a month or so ago, she had asked me if I would make a set for her and I agreed to do it. I had honestly forgotten about it until I received a call from Ellen on Saturday saying she was inquiring about them. (YIKES!)

I am happy that it is a good time and that I can shift things around and get them done. I should be able to do so today, so hopefully I will have pictures of them tomorrow.

I love the diversity of what I do. It seems that between designing, scrolling, painting, office work, customer service, website stuff and dealing with all the wholesalers, editors and companies that there is always something fun and exciting to keep me busy. It is a lot to think about sometimes, but I think that it is what I thrive on and makes the job wonderful. It doesn't even feel like work most of the time.

I hope you all enjoy your day today. Have a happy, wonderful and creative Monday.
 
#12,878 ·
doesn´t she know great things take the time it takes not a second less or more….LOL
not good Sheila :)
I remember your winther pictures from last winther and its a very nice landskabe.
here our blitz has crawled back to the cave for now so we can relax a little after the not
so freindly talk with it :)
fortunely only a few inches on the island witsh is nothing compare to the rest of Denmark

a great day to you too Sheila
Dennis
 
#12,879 ·
Catching Up

I feel as if I haven't done you all justice lately. Things have been quite busy here and I have been burning the oil late to try to squeeze more hours from the day. Because of that, something has to give and I find myself not getting up until after 6am in the morning. That may sound pretty early to some of you, but I always said that any time I put in before six was like a 'bonus' for me because I seemed to be so productive at that early hour. Any time I awoke that was after about 4:30 was a good time to start my day. But 'laziness' has set in and it seems that I don't see the light of day until around seven. It has just thrown me off a bit.

But we do the best we can and sometimes that means adjusting and compromising. I find that those who are able to adjust and change their plans easily are often the happiest (and ultimately the most productive) people around. They take each change with a grain of salt, and accept those 'hiccups' as part of life - without anxiety or disappointment. I like that attitude and I try to be that way myself. Giving myself a break for not accomplishing everything I have intended to is something that was difficult for me to embrace, but I can see the advantage it offers. I would rather go through life happy and relaxed than full of frustration and anxiety. It is something that I am sure most of you can understand.

Yesterday was our Thanksgiving here in Canada. (YES! Already!) I have been in this country for 12 years now and it is still kind of 'odd' for me to celebrate this holiday so early in the year. Early compared to when my home country (the USA) celebrates it, anyway.) Over the years though, I have come to embrace not only early October as a day of Thanksgiving, but also kept the late November one in my heart as well. After all - I have so much that I am grateful for that I could probably call any and every day of the year "Thanksgiving".

This year however, we had a glitch. Our dear friend Bernie Bell (whom I call my "Canadian dad") was feeling under the weather. We have traditionally spent this day at Bernie and Ellen's cabin on the lake with their daughter and now Keith and his mom and I. Over the years, there have been additional family members who have been around, but their grand children have since moved to other parts of the country and it is now the six of us who are left. We love the time together though and always have a wonderful visit and meal.

The fact that it was cancelled was troubling not because we were missing a meal, but the company and my worries about Bernie in general. Lately it seems that his health is sometimes touch and go and as the years go by, there are the normal thoughts and concerns that go with loving someone who is aging. We know that these visits are to be cherished and appreciated and we enjoy them to the fullest.

I am happy to say that Bernie is feeling much better today and we are going to be having our dinner this afternoon. I just received the call as I started writing and I am relieved and happy. So I will finish writing here and get on with things. I still have to make my stuffing. ;)

I did want to announce a couple of new things that we put on the site yesterday. We updated it and sent out our newsletter in the afternoon. I wanted to highlight some of the new things we have for those of you who don't receive the newsletter . . .

I have a new plaque pattern that I designed last week. (SLD533 - Autumn Greetings Layered Plaque Pattern) It is a layered plaque and I really love how it turned out:



Keith has a new plaque design as well. His "SLDK691 - Don't quit your Daydreams" plaque is appropriate for any time or occasion.



We also added a special pattern bundle of Christmas ornament patterns. These are some of our best-selling patterns and we put them together for a limited time into a set.

Organism Font Art Pattern Circle


You can see more about the set HERE on our site.

We also switched up the things on our Pattern Specials page, so there are some discounted prices on our other patterns as well. There are some great holiday scroll saw patterns as well as painting patterns there on special.

So that is about it in a nutshell.

I really am trying to get myself back on track. I kind of flip from feeling good about things to thinking I can do better. I suppose that makes me 'human'. :)

It is off to make some stuffing for me and then off to dinner. I am going to relax and enjoy my day with my wonderful Canadian family. I have a great deal to be thankful for and it deserves the time and celebration that I am going to give it.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,880 ·
Catching Up

I feel as if I haven't done you all justice lately. Things have been quite busy here and I have been burning the oil late to try to squeeze more hours from the day. Because of that, something has to give and I find myself not getting up until after 6am in the morning. That may sound pretty early to some of you, but I always said that any time I put in before six was like a 'bonus' for me because I seemed to be so productive at that early hour. Any time I awoke that was after about 4:30 was a good time to start my day. But 'laziness' has set in and it seems that I don't see the light of day until around seven. It has just thrown me off a bit.

But we do the best we can and sometimes that means adjusting and compromising. I find that those who are able to adjust and change their plans easily are often the happiest (and ultimately the most productive) people around. They take each change with a grain of salt, and accept those 'hiccups' as part of life - without anxiety or disappointment. I like that attitude and I try to be that way myself. Giving myself a break for not accomplishing everything I have intended to is something that was difficult for me to embrace, but I can see the advantage it offers. I would rather go through life happy and relaxed than full of frustration and anxiety. It is something that I am sure most of you can understand.

Yesterday was our Thanksgiving here in Canada. (YES! Already!) I have been in this country for 12 years now and it is still kind of 'odd' for me to celebrate this holiday so early in the year. Early compared to when my home country (the USA) celebrates it, anyway.) Over the years though, I have come to embrace not only early October as a day of Thanksgiving, but also kept the late November one in my heart as well. After all - I have so much that I am grateful for that I could probably call any and every day of the year "Thanksgiving".

This year however, we had a glitch. Our dear friend Bernie Bell (whom I call my "Canadian dad") was feeling under the weather. We have traditionally spent this day at Bernie and Ellen's cabin on the lake with their daughter and now Keith and his mom and I. Over the years, there have been additional family members who have been around, but their grand children have since moved to other parts of the country and it is now the six of us who are left. We love the time together though and always have a wonderful visit and meal.

The fact that it was cancelled was troubling not because we were missing a meal, but the company and my worries about Bernie in general. Lately it seems that his health is sometimes touch and go and as the years go by, there are the normal thoughts and concerns that go with loving someone who is aging. We know that these visits are to be cherished and appreciated and we enjoy them to the fullest.

I am happy to say that Bernie is feeling much better today and we are going to be having our dinner this afternoon. I just received the call as I started writing and I am relieved and happy. So I will finish writing here and get on with things. I still have to make my stuffing. ;)

I did want to announce a couple of new things that we put on the site yesterday. We updated it and sent out our newsletter in the afternoon. I wanted to highlight some of the new things we have for those of you who don't receive the newsletter . . .

I have a new plaque pattern that I designed last week. (SLD533 - Autumn Greetings Layered Plaque Pattern) It is a layered plaque and I really love how it turned out:



Keith has a new plaque design as well. His "SLDK691 - Don't quit your Daydreams" plaque is appropriate for any time or occasion.



We also added a special pattern bundle of Christmas ornament patterns. These are some of our best-selling patterns and we put them together for a limited time into a set.

Organism Font Art Pattern Circle


You can see more about the set HERE on our site.

We also switched up the things on our Pattern Specials page, so there are some discounted prices on our other patterns as well. There are some great holiday scroll saw patterns as well as painting patterns there on special.

So that is about it in a nutshell.

I really am trying to get myself back on track. I kind of flip from feeling good about things to thinking I can do better. I suppose that makes me 'human'. :)

It is off to make some stuffing for me and then off to dinner. I am going to relax and enjoy my day with my wonderful Canadian family. I have a great deal to be thankful for and it deserves the time and celebration that I am going to give it.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
Beautiful plaques Sheila. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving dinner and you found Bernie well.
 

Attachments

#12,884 ·
Catching Up

It is hard to believe that we are already nearly halfway through with the month of October. I don't know if it is because I have been so busy, or because it is my favorite month of the year, but the days just seem to pass by even more quickly than usual and before we know it, winter will be here.

I never really mind winter. I don't mind any of the seasons really. If I had a favorite it would be autumn though, with its crisp mornings, cool days and sometimes cold evenings. The colors are beautiful as well. Living here in rural Nova Scotia lends us to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, I believe, and autumn only exemplifies them. It is truly a lovely time.

As you all know - for me, this year has passed especially quickly. Since we found a new place to move into in March, our days have been filled with excitement and planning and the actual moving. While we needed to wait three months before actually making the move, even the time leading up to the actual day seemed to fly by. Every waking moment has been filled with planning and implementing those plans, not to mention our regular 'work'. No wonder I still don't feel like myself.

When I look back to attempt to asses my work output, I wish I could have done a little better. I tally the amount of new patterns that I created and there were far fewer than I would have liked. It certainly wasn't from lack of ideas, but more so from lack of time to really implement them. In a way that is good because I have a full "idea bank" to draw on for the next who knows how long. As a designer, that is a good thing to have. It means that there is a lot of promise lying ahead for me in the future. I am anxious to see many of these ideas come to life.

In the mean time, I have my projects at hand to work on and I am pleased to say that I am catching up in that department. My "12 Days" ornaments certainly got off track over the summer, as other things had to take front stage and all painting in general was put on the back burner. But lately, as I am more and more settled, I have been able to spend some extra evenings on them and either today or tomorrow I will be finished with "Day 9" and back on track. Even though the month is half over, it will feel good to be working on "Day 10" during the 10th month. There is hope that I will finish them all in time.

I haven't shown many progress photos of my Ladies Dancing yet, and I would like to share them today. Since moving from 'birds' to 'people' from day 8 and beyond has presented some of their challenges, I thought I would show you how I did.

As usual, I tried to finish up one motif nearly completely first. This way I knew the direction I was heading would be correct. I am glad I do things this way, as sometimes there are colors or shapes that need a bit of adjusting. It is much easier to fix one ornament than all six. I was pleased with the result:

Dishware Azure Orange Tableware Serveware


The face of my girl didn't look quite like the one in the pattern, but I am not that worried about it. She still looked pleasant and came out pretty decent.

Hairstyle Arm Dress Human body Sleeve


These thy features have been my biggest challenge to date on these ornaments. I had to use a small brush with about three hairs in it to get everything nice.

Head Mythical creature Art Painting Cartoon


But I did eventually, and I was able to replicate it (for the most part) on the other five ornaments as well.

Badge Dishware Waist Symbol Font


I then continued to paint the lettering (which gets easier and quicker with each ornament) and applied the Opal Dust to make the center sparkle:

The backs of this one were easy as well, with just a pare of ballet slippers.

Dishware Textile Font Aqua Serveware


Of the 12 ornaments, this is the first one that doesn't have 'greenery' on the front side. So far, I have been adding some tiny crystal rhinestone berries to the front of each ornament, and it went against my OCD behavior not to do so on my Day 9's. I actually tried to add some greenery on her skirt, but it looked heavy and out of place and took away from the rest of the ornament. I wound up scraping it off and repairing it and resigning myself to the fact that the berries will need to be on the backs. I am happy to say that you can't even tell. I thought for sure that I ruined it and was prepared to keep that ornament for myself. Sometimes we just need to compromise our plans.

At this point, only one ornament is completed - or at least I thought it was completed. After adding the Opal dust, I realized that I had also forgotten the dots of 'snow' that fell on the face and back center pieces. I need to add that in today and then add another coat of the opal dust to shine it. It is a minor error though and should be fine.

With three more 'days' to go, I feel good about the project. It has taken me a long time, though as there is such a tremendous amount of detail into both the front and back of each piece. But now that I am seeing the finish line over the horizon, I am happier than ever of my choice to give these as gifts. I hope that they are liked by my recipients as much as I like them myself. I am so happy I decided to keep a set for myself.

I believe that part of my anxiety of late is that I want to make some other designs, and just can't manage to squeeze the hours into my day in order to do them. That is to be expected when taking on a large project such as this, I suppose. It is part of the deal. Add to that the daily things that life brings our way and it is no wonder that the days are speeding by. I just need to remember to take a breath and appreciate them every once in a while.

I am going to be away for the next few days. My girlfriend and I are going to spend some time attending a "Fiber Festival" in Amherst, which is about five hours drive away. The festival is a celebration of fiber arts such as quilting, knitting, rug hooking, etc. I hope there is some embroidery there as well. I am leaving early tomorrow and won't be home until late on Saturday. Keith will still be here to take and fill orders and of course, take care of the kitties. It isn't often that I get away - especially on my own, but the trees are what I would call 'peaking' and the drive should be beautiful. I have been looking forward to this weekend for months. Perhaps it is just what I need to refresh myself. (Although it will probably just add to the hundreds of ideas that I have already!) I never mind that, though.

I hope you enjoy seeing my posts and updates, even if I seem to be working at a snail's pace. Your kind comments and encouragement always helps keep me motivated and moving. I appreciate it a great deal.

I wish you all a great weekend, even though it is only Thursday. Hopefully, by the time I come back on Monday, I will have some wonderful new things to share with you. Until then, I will hopefully finish up my "Day 9" ladies dancing. I can't wait!

Hand Dishware Pin-back button Badge Font


Happy Thursday to you all!
 

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#12,885 ·
Catching Up

It is hard to believe that we are already nearly halfway through with the month of October. I don't know if it is because I have been so busy, or because it is my favorite month of the year, but the days just seem to pass by even more quickly than usual and before we know it, winter will be here.

I never really mind winter. I don't mind any of the seasons really. If I had a favorite it would be autumn though, with its crisp mornings, cool days and sometimes cold evenings. The colors are beautiful as well. Living here in rural Nova Scotia lends us to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, I believe, and autumn only exemplifies them. It is truly a lovely time.

As you all know - for me, this year has passed especially quickly. Since we found a new place to move into in March, our days have been filled with excitement and planning and the actual moving. While we needed to wait three months before actually making the move, even the time leading up to the actual day seemed to fly by. Every waking moment has been filled with planning and implementing those plans, not to mention our regular 'work'. No wonder I still don't feel like myself.

When I look back to attempt to asses my work output, I wish I could have done a little better. I tally the amount of new patterns that I created and there were far fewer than I would have liked. It certainly wasn't from lack of ideas, but more so from lack of time to really implement them. In a way that is good because I have a full "idea bank" to draw on for the next who knows how long. As a designer, that is a good thing to have. It means that there is a lot of promise lying ahead for me in the future. I am anxious to see many of these ideas come to life.

In the mean time, I have my projects at hand to work on and I am pleased to say that I am catching up in that department. My "12 Days" ornaments certainly got off track over the summer, as other things had to take front stage and all painting in general was put on the back burner. But lately, as I am more and more settled, I have been able to spend some extra evenings on them and either today or tomorrow I will be finished with "Day 9" and back on track. Even though the month is half over, it will feel good to be working on "Day 10" during the 10th month. There is hope that I will finish them all in time.

I haven't shown many progress photos of my Ladies Dancing yet, and I would like to share them today. Since moving from 'birds' to 'people' from day 8 and beyond has presented some of their challenges, I thought I would show you how I did.

As usual, I tried to finish up one motif nearly completely first. This way I knew the direction I was heading would be correct. I am glad I do things this way, as sometimes there are colors or shapes that need a bit of adjusting. It is much easier to fix one ornament than all six. I was pleased with the result:

Dishware Azure Orange Tableware Serveware


The face of my girl didn't look quite like the one in the pattern, but I am not that worried about it. She still looked pleasant and came out pretty decent.

Hairstyle Arm Dress Human body Sleeve


These thy features have been my biggest challenge to date on these ornaments. I had to use a small brush with about three hairs in it to get everything nice.

Head Mythical creature Art Painting Cartoon


But I did eventually, and I was able to replicate it (for the most part) on the other five ornaments as well.

Badge Dishware Waist Symbol Font


I then continued to paint the lettering (which gets easier and quicker with each ornament) and applied the Opal Dust to make the center sparkle:

The backs of this one were easy as well, with just a pare of ballet slippers.

Dishware Textile Font Aqua Serveware


Of the 12 ornaments, this is the first one that doesn't have 'greenery' on the front side. So far, I have been adding some tiny crystal rhinestone berries to the front of each ornament, and it went against my OCD behavior not to do so on my Day 9's. I actually tried to add some greenery on her skirt, but it looked heavy and out of place and took away from the rest of the ornament. I wound up scraping it off and repairing it and resigning myself to the fact that the berries will need to be on the backs. I am happy to say that you can't even tell. I thought for sure that I ruined it and was prepared to keep that ornament for myself. Sometimes we just need to compromise our plans.

At this point, only one ornament is completed - or at least I thought it was completed. After adding the Opal dust, I realized that I had also forgotten the dots of 'snow' that fell on the face and back center pieces. I need to add that in today and then add another coat of the opal dust to shine it. It is a minor error though and should be fine.

With three more 'days' to go, I feel good about the project. It has taken me a long time, though as there is such a tremendous amount of detail into both the front and back of each piece. But now that I am seeing the finish line over the horizon, I am happier than ever of my choice to give these as gifts. I hope that they are liked by my recipients as much as I like them myself. I am so happy I decided to keep a set for myself.

I believe that part of my anxiety of late is that I want to make some other designs, and just can't manage to squeeze the hours into my day in order to do them. That is to be expected when taking on a large project such as this, I suppose. It is part of the deal. Add to that the daily things that life brings our way and it is no wonder that the days are speeding by. I just need to remember to take a breath and appreciate them every once in a while.

I am going to be away for the next few days. My girlfriend and I are going to spend some time attending a "Fiber Festival" in Amherst, which is about five hours drive away. The festival is a celebration of fiber arts such as quilting, knitting, rug hooking, etc. I hope there is some embroidery there as well. I am leaving early tomorrow and won't be home until late on Saturday. Keith will still be here to take and fill orders and of course, take care of the kitties. It isn't often that I get away - especially on my own, but the trees are what I would call 'peaking' and the drive should be beautiful. I have been looking forward to this weekend for months. Perhaps it is just what I need to refresh myself. (Although it will probably just add to the hundreds of ideas that I have already!) I never mind that, though.

I hope you enjoy seeing my posts and updates, even if I seem to be working at a snail's pace. Your kind comments and encouragement always helps keep me motivated and moving. I appreciate it a great deal.

I wish you all a great weekend, even though it is only Thursday. Hopefully, by the time I come back on Monday, I will have some wonderful new things to share with you. Until then, I will hopefully finish up my "Day 9" ladies dancing. I can't wait!

Hand Dishware Pin-back button Badge Font


Happy Thursday to you all!
Enjoy your trip as sometimes we just need some me time.
 

Attachments

#12,889 ·
Back From My Break

"How can you miss me if I don't go away?"

It's one of those questions that may seem to state the obvious, but few seem to get it.

As many of you that follow me know, I have been going through a kind of 'transition' all summer long. I have been blogging for what I think may be six years already (I truly lost count) and never mind sharing my creative adventures with you all. (Some personal ones as well!) You have been just as inspirational to me as you say I have been to you, and I have found out that I need this exercise of writing nearly every day to help keep me organized, productive and on track with things. I appreciate those of you who follow me and comment and send words of encouragement. They really do keep me in a good direction. I never take any of you for granted or underestimate the power of a kind and encouraging sentiment.

Lately I have found myself struggling a bit. Acclimating myself to my new environment has really taken its toll on me much more that I would have anticipated. While most of moving to a larger place is positive, there seems like there is an overwhelming list of things that I still need to do, and the sense of being 'caught up' is something that I sometimes feel that I will never feel again. I was comfortable and cozy in my old little place. Even though it had its shortcomings, it was something that we became used to and knew how to manage. Now that we are in a much larger place and while I feel that the positives far outweigh the negatives, it is still taking me a great deal of time and energy to get used to things. It is sometimes exhausting.

I know this is natural and expected, but it has been so long since I have gone through it that I just must have forgotten. Maybe I buried these feelings of anxiety for a reason. Maybe they were just so far in the past that the good things that happened since have fogged them over until they disappeared. Whatever the case, this all feels new and at times overwhelming and it has thrown me for a loop.

But I haven't given up, nor do I intend to. My list of ideas is growing by leaps and bounds each day. I refer to these ideas as my 'insurance policy' that I will be working in the future. Nothing terrorizes a designer as much as the well running dry where ideas are concerned. I am fortunate to be able to say that for me, the opposite seems to be more of an issue. I have more ideas than I have time to implement, and I keep adding to the list every single day. But instead of them being filed in an orderly manner in my head, they are thrown together helter skelter and the best way I can describe them to you is like a bowl of spaghetti. All mixed up together and in chaos. No wonder I feel anxious.

When this has happened on a smaller scale in the past, I found the best remedy for it was to take a step back and "breath". Let it be and take a break and try to come back when I was rested, and with fresh eyes and a clear head. Give things a chance to settle. Don't try so hard.

So that is what I am attempting to do. I have been trying to take a few hours here and there for myself and in between, push the pile as best as I can. While I am still fighting the feeling that I am not doing enough, things are slowly and surely beginning to fall back into place and little by little I feel myself 'coming back'. I will get to where I want to be eventually.

Over the weekend I took a couple of days to get away with my friend Cindy and attend a "Fiber Festival" in the town of Amhurst, Nova Scotia. Amhurst is located on the border between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and is about a 5-6 hour drive from where I live. She had told me of this festival over the summer, and I gladly accepted her invitation to join her. While we weren't going for the entire week or for classes, we thought it would be nice to take off for a couple of days and just go to see what it was about and enjoy the lovely autumn weather and scenery of Nova Scotia.

Needless to say, we weren't disappointed. The landscape was beyond beautiful, with the leaves incredibly brilliant. The weather was good, and even though we had a short shot of rain, the rest of the time it was sunny and cool.

For those of you who haven't guessed, a "Fiber Festival" is not where we all sit around eating healthy bran and cereals - it is a festival that celebrates all types of fiber arts, like rug hooking, quilting and even embroidery. It is something that I would naturally love, as I am a sucker for beautiful wool, thread and fabric. Those of you who see my embroidery attempts know how much I love doing needlework. It is not only calming and relaxing, but also another way to be creative and enjoy and celebrate art.

The part of the festival that we attended included a walking tour of the town, with stops earmarked which had displays of wonderful and inspirational work. We also stopped at some of the shops which carried supplies, and had a grand time seeing all the lovely supplies and patterns available. Finally, we attended the bazaar, where vendors from all over displayed and sold their wares. This also ranged from supplies to fibers to finished work. There was something for everyone.

I am excited to show you my wonderful acquisitions, as I didn't feel that I went overboard, but I was certainly inspired and thrilled with them.

The first thing that I purchased was an masterful needle felted work of art from Bella McBride of McBride House Creations. You can see some of her other work by clicking on the link which will bring you to her Etsy store. I will tell you however, that the pictures do not do her work justice. She was located right by the front door of the bazaar and the minute I saw this piece I knew I had to have it.



It is a beautiful needle felted sculpture of a crow, in Celtic costume, with a warrior on his back. I decided to name the crow "Vortegern" (which means "Supreme King") and the warrior "Caderyn" (which means "Battle King".) I think they are just exquisite!



Vortegern is approximately 10" long and his wings are layered wool. He has a lovely Celtic shield on his chest, back and head and is carrying a metal helmet in his mouth, which is held by a black chain. Little Caderyn stands on his back with sword and shield in hand, ready for battle. Vorgetern also has black glass eyes and clay talons.

For some reason, this piece spoke to me. It was one of those things that I fell in love with when I first saw it. I tried to walk away and go through the entire show first and come back to it later to see if I still wanted it, but I only made it about three tables away before I decided I had to just go buy it. I didn't want the chance of someone else seeing it and buying it first. It would have been something that I would surely regret if I were to lose it.



It is funny how sometimes art can do that to us. It gets under our skin and grasps us by the soul. Some pieces are not merely 'wants' but are truly 'needs'. That is what this piece was to me.

I did my best to take good photos of them today to show you all, but I feel that I didn't capture the incredible craftsmanship of the pieces. I will try again later today as I will have my light box out and maybe I can do better there. We will see.

I didn't buy too much more over the weekend. I did find a couple of things though for future projects that are 'living in my head.'

These lovely wool fibers are just incredible and I have something really fun in mind for them.



The final wool that I purchased was something that I just had to have, with no particular project in mind.



It is one of those pieces where you think of the project after acquiring the wool for it. The colors are absolutely YUMMY and I am sure that I will use them for something fun and pretty!

So much fun! . . .

I came back from my weekend feeling much better than I did when I left. There is still a lot to do (even more now, I am afraid!) but talking to people and seeing the lovely work and inspiration from the show, the shops and the weekend in general, gave me a feeling of peace and calm.

One day at a time. . .

I need to remember that and not get overwhelmed.

I need to be patient with myself and allow myself to work at the pace that my life dictates. By doing that and staying in tune with myself, things will certainly work themselves out. And by letting go of the expectations that I have placed on myself, I am allowing myself to create what I was intended to create instead of forcing what I THINK I should be doing.

That in itself is very freeing.

I wish you all a wonderful Monday and an incredible week ahead!
 

Attachments

#12,890 ·
Back From My Break

"How can you miss me if I don't go away?"

It's one of those questions that may seem to state the obvious, but few seem to get it.

As many of you that follow me know, I have been going through a kind of 'transition' all summer long. I have been blogging for what I think may be six years already (I truly lost count) and never mind sharing my creative adventures with you all. (Some personal ones as well!) You have been just as inspirational to me as you say I have been to you, and I have found out that I need this exercise of writing nearly every day to help keep me organized, productive and on track with things. I appreciate those of you who follow me and comment and send words of encouragement. They really do keep me in a good direction. I never take any of you for granted or underestimate the power of a kind and encouraging sentiment.

Lately I have found myself struggling a bit. Acclimating myself to my new environment has really taken its toll on me much more that I would have anticipated. While most of moving to a larger place is positive, there seems like there is an overwhelming list of things that I still need to do, and the sense of being 'caught up' is something that I sometimes feel that I will never feel again. I was comfortable and cozy in my old little place. Even though it had its shortcomings, it was something that we became used to and knew how to manage. Now that we are in a much larger place and while I feel that the positives far outweigh the negatives, it is still taking me a great deal of time and energy to get used to things. It is sometimes exhausting.

I know this is natural and expected, but it has been so long since I have gone through it that I just must have forgotten. Maybe I buried these feelings of anxiety for a reason. Maybe they were just so far in the past that the good things that happened since have fogged them over until they disappeared. Whatever the case, this all feels new and at times overwhelming and it has thrown me for a loop.

But I haven't given up, nor do I intend to. My list of ideas is growing by leaps and bounds each day. I refer to these ideas as my 'insurance policy' that I will be working in the future. Nothing terrorizes a designer as much as the well running dry where ideas are concerned. I am fortunate to be able to say that for me, the opposite seems to be more of an issue. I have more ideas than I have time to implement, and I keep adding to the list every single day. But instead of them being filed in an orderly manner in my head, they are thrown together helter skelter and the best way I can describe them to you is like a bowl of spaghetti. All mixed up together and in chaos. No wonder I feel anxious.

When this has happened on a smaller scale in the past, I found the best remedy for it was to take a step back and "breath". Let it be and take a break and try to come back when I was rested, and with fresh eyes and a clear head. Give things a chance to settle. Don't try so hard.

So that is what I am attempting to do. I have been trying to take a few hours here and there for myself and in between, push the pile as best as I can. While I am still fighting the feeling that I am not doing enough, things are slowly and surely beginning to fall back into place and little by little I feel myself 'coming back'. I will get to where I want to be eventually.

Over the weekend I took a couple of days to get away with my friend Cindy and attend a "Fiber Festival" in the town of Amhurst, Nova Scotia. Amhurst is located on the border between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and is about a 5-6 hour drive from where I live. She had told me of this festival over the summer, and I gladly accepted her invitation to join her. While we weren't going for the entire week or for classes, we thought it would be nice to take off for a couple of days and just go to see what it was about and enjoy the lovely autumn weather and scenery of Nova Scotia.

Needless to say, we weren't disappointed. The landscape was beyond beautiful, with the leaves incredibly brilliant. The weather was good, and even though we had a short shot of rain, the rest of the time it was sunny and cool.

For those of you who haven't guessed, a "Fiber Festival" is not where we all sit around eating healthy bran and cereals - it is a festival that celebrates all types of fiber arts, like rug hooking, quilting and even embroidery. It is something that I would naturally love, as I am a sucker for beautiful wool, thread and fabric. Those of you who see my embroidery attempts know how much I love doing needlework. It is not only calming and relaxing, but also another way to be creative and enjoy and celebrate art.

The part of the festival that we attended included a walking tour of the town, with stops earmarked which had displays of wonderful and inspirational work. We also stopped at some of the shops which carried supplies, and had a grand time seeing all the lovely supplies and patterns available. Finally, we attended the bazaar, where vendors from all over displayed and sold their wares. This also ranged from supplies to fibers to finished work. There was something for everyone.

I am excited to show you my wonderful acquisitions, as I didn't feel that I went overboard, but I was certainly inspired and thrilled with them.

The first thing that I purchased was an masterful needle felted work of art from Bella McBride of McBride House Creations. You can see some of her other work by clicking on the link which will bring you to her Etsy store. I will tell you however, that the pictures do not do her work justice. She was located right by the front door of the bazaar and the minute I saw this piece I knew I had to have it.

Orange Bird Pumpkin Beak Calabaza


It is a beautiful needle felted sculpture of a crow, in Celtic costume, with a warrior on his back. I decided to name the crow "Vortegern" (which means "Supreme King") and the warrior "Caderyn" (which means "Battle King".) I think they are just exquisite!

Pumpkin Plant Leaf Winter squash Calabaza


Vortegern is approximately 10" long and his wings are layered wool. He has a lovely Celtic shield on his chest, back and head and is carrying a metal helmet in his mouth, which is held by a black chain. Little Caderyn stands on his back with sword and shield in hand, ready for battle. Vorgetern also has black glass eyes and clay talons.

For some reason, this piece spoke to me. It was one of those things that I fell in love with when I first saw it. I tried to walk away and go through the entire show first and come back to it later to see if I still wanted it, but I only made it about three tables away before I decided I had to just go buy it. I didn't want the chance of someone else seeing it and buying it first. It would have been something that I would surely regret if I were to lose it.

Plant Food Pumpkin Cucurbita Iguania


It is funny how sometimes art can do that to us. It gets under our skin and grasps us by the soul. Some pieces are not merely 'wants' but are truly 'needs'. That is what this piece was to me.

I did my best to take good photos of them today to show you all, but I feel that I didn't capture the incredible craftsmanship of the pieces. I will try again later today as I will have my light box out and maybe I can do better there. We will see.

I didn't buy too much more over the weekend. I did find a couple of things though for future projects that are 'living in my head.'

These lovely wool fibers are just incredible and I have something really fun in mind for them.

Purple Textile Magenta Dye Natural material


The final wool that I purchased was something that I just had to have, with no particular project in mind.

Brown Creative arts Magenta Fiber Natural material


It is one of those pieces where you think of the project after acquiring the wool for it. The colors are absolutely YUMMY and I am sure that I will use them for something fun and pretty!

So much fun! . . .

I came back from my weekend feeling much better than I did when I left. There is still a lot to do (even more now, I am afraid!) but talking to people and seeing the lovely work and inspiration from the show, the shops and the weekend in general, gave me a feeling of peace and calm.

One day at a time. . .

I need to remember that and not get overwhelmed.

I need to be patient with myself and allow myself to work at the pace that my life dictates. By doing that and staying in tune with myself, things will certainly work themselves out. And by letting go of the expectations that I have placed on myself, I am allowing myself to create what I was intended to create instead of forcing what I THINK I should be doing.

That in itself is very freeing.

I wish you all a wonderful Monday and an incredible week ahead!
What a fun way to spend a weekend! Looking forward to seeing what you will do with those colourful fibres. The fibre art crow is beautiful, the celtic theme being close to my heart:)
 

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#12,894 ·
#1790 On the Ninth Day of Christmas . . .

Yesterday was a good day in many respects. Not only did I feel as if I got a bit caught up with things, but I was feeling a bit more like myself again. (My productive self, that is!) I think the two days away really did me a world of good. Not only was in inspired by seeing so much creativity and beauty, but I got a chance to not think about the business, my computer or any of my day-to-day tasks for a short time. While I missed having Keith travel with me, it was a comfort knowing that here was here at home to manage things and take care of the cats. It may sound silly, but even though I know we have people that are competent looking after them when we are away, we know it isn't the same. Keith told me they were rather out of sorts for the two days that I was gone. It is funny how you can tell when your pet just isn't acting the same. But they seemed very happy to see me when I returned and they are all back to their happy routines again. All is well.

I spent most of yesterday clearing out emails and organizing things. I made some soup and did some things outside and a general tidying up of things. By the evening time, I felt good and relaxed and ready to move forward. I even spent the last couple hours doing some of my embroidery. I haven't really touched it since May when we moved. After seeing all the beautiful needlework, threads and yarns at the Fiber Festival, it inspired me to once again pull mine out and make time to work on it. It felt good.

Before that, I put the ties, tassels and rhinestones on my "Day 9" ornaments from my Lynne Andrews project and took the final photos of my sets up to that point. These were the final touches and they are ready to send out with my "Day 8" ornaments from only a couple of weeks ago. I am getting caught up with them, too.

The "Ladies Dancing" are just lovely!

Badge Body jewelry Jewellery Font Wing


Body jewelry Font Jewellery Gas Ornament


Here is an angled shot so you can see the beautiful Opal Dust that I brush onto the front and back center part:

Badge Jewellery Font Electric blue Circle


As usual, the photos, nice as they are, just don't do them justice.

For this design, I needed to put the crystal rhinestones on the BACK of the ornament, as there was no greenery on the front:

Jewellery Font Body jewelry Badge Circle


I admit that I attempted to add some greenery to her skirt, so I could be consistent and have the red rhinestone berries on the front, but it looked rather silly. I wound up scraping it off and restoring the ornament to its original state. (You can't even tell which one I did it to - PHEW!)

Dishware Tableware Yellow Serveware Body jewelry


The six together are quite lovely! :)

Dishware Serveware Tableware Souvenir Porcelain


As I watch my own set grow, I fall more and more in love with them! They are truly a beautifully designed work of art!

Tableware Dishware Serveware Circle Pattern


I am so happy that I thought enough to make a set for myself! The ornaments have been an incredible amount of work so far, but very much worth the time and effort. I hope that my recipients like them as much as I do.

If you haven't seen these before and would like to join in on the fun of creating these beautiful ornaments, I have a Facebook page set up as a support group for all who want to join the adventure. You can access it here: 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We are making them!

You can get the pattern book on Lynne's website here: Christmas Blessings

And the ornament shapes from me here on my site: SLDPK129 - Elegant Bevel-Cut Frame Ornaments

We have over 300 members in the group and it is a wonderful group of painters and even those who do not paint and want to cheer us on. I know for sure that I would not be this far along in the project without it. I hope you come by and join!

I am so happy that I have access to resources such as this. I think back to when I was beginning my journey in painting and if there was nothing available in our neighborhoods, we would be out of luck. Now I am able to live in another country, in a very rural area and still be able to share and be inspired and meet new people with similar interests. To me it is somewhat of a miracle.

I hope you all have a wonderful and productive day. I have some new things that I will be working on today and will show you tomorrow. One of them is scroll sawing and the other is painting. Both will certainly be FUN!

Until then, I wish you a great day!

Tableware Dishware Serveware Wood Circle


Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

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#12,895 ·
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like (Kim) Christmas

I have always been one of those designers that loves to work on designs from others that I admire. I can't help it. I see something that someone else creates that 'speaks to me' and I can't help but try to make the time to create it. I look at it as helping support the industry that I love so much. It also gives my brain a rest and keeps me feeling like I am having fun. After all - I believe that enjoying what I am doing is linked in a big part to the amount of success that I have.

Kim Christmas (http://www.kimchristmas.com) has always been one of my favorites. Those of you who have followed me for a while have seen me paint several of her projects over the years and I always look forward to seeing what new things she has in mind. Just recently, I did the "Meow, Meow, Boo!" project of three little kitty head ornaments. They were so much fun!

Footwear Human body Wood Cleat Font


A couple of weeks ago, I saw another project that Kim designed for this autumn/Halloween season. It is called "Sittin' in the Patch" (H16-3) and you can order the pattern on her site here: #1508 - Sittin' in the Patch

Nature Organism Picture frame Art Creative arts


I loved it, but thought that I may have to pass on it because I didn't know where I would be able to get the ceramic bisque pumpkin that she used for the design. I really thought it was a cool design though.

Then, as luck would have it, I was in our local Bulk Barn and saw these beautiful clear glass pumpkin jars for sale. They only cost $7 each and I thought I may be able to use them for the project.

They were slightly larger than Kim's original design, but I knew it wouldn't be much trouble to enlarge the pattern to make it suitable. Since my pumpkin was smooth, clear glass and Kim's was ceramic bisque, I had to think of something to base the pumpkin out that would allow me to paint on it without the paint scraping off or chipping.

Enter DecoArt Chalkboard Paint for GLASS!

I followed the instructions on the bottle and heat-set the paint in the oven and I was thrilled and amazed at how "PERMANENT" this paint really was. I tried to scrape it off with my nail (after allowing it to cure) and I couldn't do it. I even was able to lightly sand it to smooth out some of the brush strokes that I had. I was thrilled!

I decided to make the base of my pumpkin black, as I wanted to be able to keep it out a bit longer than Halloween - all through Thanksgiving and while I liked the purple that Kim used on her pattern, I thought that something more neutral or autumn-like would suit me better. Here is the result of the base of my pumpkin:

Kitchen appliance Fluid Serveware Cookware and bakeware Home appliance


I was ready to go! :)

I didn't want my pumpkin sky stark black, so I looked through my supplies to see what would do to make the pumpkin a little nicer. I decided to dry brush some of DecoArt's Metallic Lustre over the black to give the pumpkin a orange-ish look:

Food Kitchen appliance Stovetop kettle Home appliance Ingredient


The result was fabulous! The pumpkin looked so cool, I almost wanted to leave it 'as is'!

Calabaza Cucurbita Pumpkin Winter squash Squash


I sprayed it with two coats of MATTE finish (no - it didn't dull the Metallic Lustre - it set it nicely) and I continued to apply my pattern as per Kim's instructions:

Serveware Creative arts Pottery Artifact Art


I'll be honest in that at first I didn't do all the steps Kim recommended and the result was that I spun my wheels for a while and got nowhere. Last night I took a step back and did what I was supposed to do and made great progress:

Creative arts Helmet Serveware Headgear Pottery


I used the Faux Squirrel brush by Dynasty for applying the paint and I did like the softer texture of it. I felt that it left less brush marks than if I used my usual taklon brushes, as the bristles were softer.

Under the watchful eyes of "Inspector Biggles" (aka Pancakes) I made great progress:

Cat Carnivore Felidae Comfort Whiskers


I hope to finish up the project today and have more of it to show you tomorrow. :)

I liked this method so much that I went back and got a couple additional pumpkins to create my own designs on. In the past, I found that painting on glass or other smooth, non-porous surfaces was difficult because it would seem that the paint would always chip and peel off. I didn't want to invest my time and energy to something that wouldn't last. The DecoArt Chalk Paint for Glass really, really holds up beautifully and gives a nice matte surface for a base. I have some additional colors and I plan to use them in design work in the near future.

In other news, Keith has added a new Christmas pattern to our site:

Brown Rectangle Art Wood Font


With everyone gearing up for Christmas, we hope you will enjoy it and add it to your pattern arsenal. You can get to it directly HERE.

I hope you enjoy seeing my pumpkin come to life. For more of Kim's lovely patterns, please visit her site. You can get the DecoArt products at your favorite craft supplier or go directly to the DecoArt site and order them online. While for this project I used the Chalkboard Paint for glass (which means you can write on it with chalk) for future projects, I am going to use the "Chalky Finish Paint for Glass" (which comes in more colors) and paint over it. I will keep you posted as to how it works.

It is yet another beautiful and sunny day here in Nova Scotia. After some rain yesterday, there isn't a cloud in the sky today. We certainly have had some amazing weather this year and the autumn colors are just lovely. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world but where I am!

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

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#12,896 ·
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like (Kim) Christmas

I have always been one of those designers that loves to work on designs from others that I admire. I can't help it. I see something that someone else creates that 'speaks to me' and I can't help but try to make the time to create it. I look at it as helping support the industry that I love so much. It also gives my brain a rest and keeps me feeling like I am having fun. After all - I believe that enjoying what I am doing is linked in a big part to the amount of success that I have.

Kim Christmas (http://www.kimchristmas.com) has always been one of my favorites. Those of you who have followed me for a while have seen me paint several of her projects over the years and I always look forward to seeing what new things she has in mind. Just recently, I did the "Meow, Meow, Boo!" project of three little kitty head ornaments. They were so much fun!

Footwear Human body Wood Cleat Font


A couple of weeks ago, I saw another project that Kim designed for this autumn/Halloween season. It is called "Sittin' in the Patch" (H16-3) and you can order the pattern on her site here: #1508 - Sittin' in the Patch

Nature Organism Picture frame Art Creative arts


I loved it, but thought that I may have to pass on it because I didn't know where I would be able to get the ceramic bisque pumpkin that she used for the design. I really thought it was a cool design though.

Then, as luck would have it, I was in our local Bulk Barn and saw these beautiful clear glass pumpkin jars for sale. They only cost $7 each and I thought I may be able to use them for the project.

They were slightly larger than Kim's original design, but I knew it wouldn't be much trouble to enlarge the pattern to make it suitable. Since my pumpkin was smooth, clear glass and Kim's was ceramic bisque, I had to think of something to base the pumpkin out that would allow me to paint on it without the paint scraping off or chipping.

Enter DecoArt Chalkboard Paint for GLASS!

I followed the instructions on the bottle and heat-set the paint in the oven and I was thrilled and amazed at how "PERMANENT" this paint really was. I tried to scrape it off with my nail (after allowing it to cure) and I couldn't do it. I even was able to lightly sand it to smooth out some of the brush strokes that I had. I was thrilled!

I decided to make the base of my pumpkin black, as I wanted to be able to keep it out a bit longer than Halloween - all through Thanksgiving and while I liked the purple that Kim used on her pattern, I thought that something more neutral or autumn-like would suit me better. Here is the result of the base of my pumpkin:

Kitchen appliance Fluid Serveware Cookware and bakeware Home appliance


I was ready to go! :)

I didn't want my pumpkin sky stark black, so I looked through my supplies to see what would do to make the pumpkin a little nicer. I decided to dry brush some of DecoArt's Metallic Lustre over the black to give the pumpkin a orange-ish look:

Food Kitchen appliance Stovetop kettle Home appliance Ingredient


The result was fabulous! The pumpkin looked so cool, I almost wanted to leave it 'as is'!

Calabaza Cucurbita Pumpkin Winter squash Squash


I sprayed it with two coats of MATTE finish (no - it didn't dull the Metallic Lustre - it set it nicely) and I continued to apply my pattern as per Kim's instructions:

Serveware Creative arts Pottery Artifact Art


I'll be honest in that at first I didn't do all the steps Kim recommended and the result was that I spun my wheels for a while and got nowhere. Last night I took a step back and did what I was supposed to do and made great progress:

Creative arts Helmet Serveware Headgear Pottery


I used the Faux Squirrel brush by Dynasty for applying the paint and I did like the softer texture of it. I felt that it left less brush marks than if I used my usual taklon brushes, as the bristles were softer.

Under the watchful eyes of "Inspector Biggles" (aka Pancakes) I made great progress:

Cat Carnivore Felidae Comfort Whiskers


I hope to finish up the project today and have more of it to show you tomorrow. :)

I liked this method so much that I went back and got a couple additional pumpkins to create my own designs on. In the past, I found that painting on glass or other smooth, non-porous surfaces was difficult because it would seem that the paint would always chip and peel off. I didn't want to invest my time and energy to something that wouldn't last. The DecoArt Chalk Paint for Glass really, really holds up beautifully and gives a nice matte surface for a base. I have some additional colors and I plan to use them in design work in the near future.

In other news, Keith has added a new Christmas pattern to our site:

Brown Rectangle Art Wood Font


With everyone gearing up for Christmas, we hope you will enjoy it and add it to your pattern arsenal. You can get to it directly HERE.

I hope you enjoy seeing my pumpkin come to life. For more of Kim's lovely patterns, please visit her site. You can get the DecoArt products at your favorite craft supplier or go directly to the DecoArt site and order them online. While for this project I used the Chalkboard Paint for glass (which means you can write on it with chalk) for future projects, I am going to use the "Chalky Finish Paint for Glass" (which comes in more colors) and paint over it. I will keep you posted as to how it works.

It is yet another beautiful and sunny day here in Nova Scotia. After some rain yesterday, there isn't a cloud in the sky today. We certainly have had some amazing weather this year and the autumn colors are just lovely. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world but where I am!

Happy Thursday to you all!
Good morning, Looking forward to your completed pumpkin, I am sure your cat is too. Glad to be home but allot of work to get ready for winter so may not be able to try out my water color paints till it snows, been rainy and snow on the mountain is creeping down, before long it will look like this.

Sky Mountain Snow Cloud Natural landscape
 

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