Friday, February 17

February Greens...


You can say it...
"But don't you live in a snow belt?"
"Lake effect storms"


Yes!
Well... not this year~
Yesterday, a rain-soaked day...
Today we are enjoying bright blue, gorgeous sunny skies!

Whatever the weather~ we happily welcome each day!


I bent down to pick up a branch and
looked across this mound of moss thriving on the driveway...
Looks like a gorgeous landscape!


I decided that if I examined the blanket close enough I would see
wee little fairies walking barefoot~ soaking up the sunshine!

My studio is filled with natural light and exciting deadlines!
Back to work...
Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Kind Friends~

Wednesday, February 15

Wool Needle Felting...


Special orders are a joy!
These little needle felted friends and their homes
arrived in the hands of a sweet blogger friend on Monday!

I'm working my way through a fun list of requests...
Sometimes it takes me a bit to find the right vintage item
to finish a special order~
It took several stops to find little boxes to house these friends!
The wooden boxes in my previous post... another discontinued item.


Thankfully~ all of you know how quickly the market changes
and you're so flexible and understanding.

My next special order~
Pen and ink illustrations on vintage tea towels...
I finally found the most perfect linen~ to finish the collection!


While relaxing at night... I've been making a new collection of
little canvas tote bags for a sweet gal to choose from!
She wanted me to add a little color...
I hope she likes my idea!

If only the laundry and house cleaning could be more creative!
(giggle...)
I hope your cup is overflowing with joy~

Monday, February 13

Happy Valentine's Day!


Hearts give us warm fuzzy's...
Love shared...


I have several ways of storing my vintage Valentines~
These three recycled Dove chocolate tins hold one collection!


I slide these vintage love notes in the corners of mirrors...
I lean them against chalk boards...
Tuck them in frame corners...


Blue and Forget Me Nots are some of my favorites~


This art style is simple... beautiful!


Toss in some veggie messages...
For those of us who choose chocolate all day!


Handsome hearts...


Beautiful borders...


That little man is wondering where that heart boat came from!
Keeping his little arms behind his back...
"I'm not touchin' it!"


Sharing friendship and wishes for a day filled with love!
~Happy Valentine's Day~

Sunday, February 12

Primary Color Valentine Wishes~


Bits and pieces of some of my original paintings...
Framed with love!


Instead of roses... I LOVE to paint wild strawberries~


What's on my desk gets tossed in... often!


Fluffy red cardinals...


Journal sketches with a touch of color...


Bright red leaves~ pressed & kept for reference material~


Yellow bumble bees that share tales of their flights~


Bunnies dressed in yellow delivering a bouquet of Forget Me Nots...


Yellow polka dots on the horse blanket~
Polka dots make everything a little sweeter!


Sunny yellow~


 Sunny seaside...


Everything sweeter with a yellow & black bee on top!


Winter Jay... puffed up and brilliant blue!


Nuthatch... the wings have a pretty blue tone in just the right light!


Not a primary color....
One of my favorite feathered friends to wish you a very
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Friday, February 10

Thankful for Friends~


There is nothing like the smell inside a florist shop, mid-winter!
Alaina & I took a trip to Kittelberger Florist today.
A very sweet friend was helping me out of a pickle...
Walking through their studio~construction zone was amazing!
I love to watch designers put flower arrangements together~
A gorgeous painting coming together quickly... artfully... 
~Gracefully~


I'm working on a project that requires pressed flowers...
I have gathered & pressed from our gardens~
But it is February.
No snow! No flowers either.


I called my friend and she pulled a box of lovely together for me!
A HUGE box of a little wilted, a little past peak etc. 
We got home...
Tossed everything down and began pressing!


I filled book after book...
Pressed blossom after blossom...


I ran out of pages!
Alaina rescued some of the extras~


She has collected some darling vases...


Once they were full she started filling her paint water jars...


Kittelberger is filled to the rafters with treasures~
Household/kitchen... Vera... toiletries... home decor...
Bridal... Paper products... jewelry... so much more!
Fine gifts~ from the sweetest of families!

Stoneware crocks, jugs... bean pots are weighing down
my old books filled with beautiful blossoms.
Our home smells so pretty~
The cats are curious!

Hope you have a beautiful weekend, Friends! 

Wednesday, February 8

Watercolor Palette~


These antique watercolor wells are filled, dried and ready
to join one of my overflowing palettes...


They may have come out of an old paint box...
I couldn't find much information on them.
I love the brushed-glass lip because it pulls my brush together!


So many colors... so little time!
I've been working on several new programs at the same time~
A fabric line with a very deep, rich color theme...
A mixed media line with a second color palette, much softer...
Adding to a third program that has a very pastel base.

Instead of washing off one palette to switch & work on 
a different project I add little wells of the missing colors~
Interchangeable & very easy to clean!


These little pieces are also nice 
when there are not enough wells available in a palette.

One palette is filled with Winsor & Newton (My favorite!)
One is filled with Holbein
Some have a mix~ adding in a few Grumbacher & Da Vinci
with other less known paint lines with amazing colors!


Plates from a child's vintage play-set always come in handy~
Some artists add to their palettes with antique salts!
Wee little wells, fountains... pools of raw color.


When my new designs are published I will share with you!
Thank you for your notes asking for a peek!

For now the new work has to stay secret... protected~
Especially with the wonderful world of Pinterest!
I enjoy pinning pictures to my boards/collections... 
Gosh it's fun!
Pinterest is a colorful, digital magazine to me.
The perfect way to escape the winter browns and
peek into others unique interests!
I will NOT use the images that I have pinned as
source of reference material for my work...
Most of the photographs added to the mix are from blogs etc.
They belong to somebody.
Most blogs & photographs are copyright protected.


Hope your day is sunny & filled with creative!


Friday, February 3

Antique Chalkboard Messages...


Chalkboards flower our home...
A few here~
Another there...


I don't fuss with a lot of seasonal decorations...
But these treasures ALWAYS celebrate special days!


Guess what is in that sweet silver box?


Joy!
Another batch of tips~
No rust... just a little aged ink that soaked off...


I took a break from deadlines and spent a day
visiting our local~ favorite antique malls...
I'm so much more productive when I step away for a bit.


I'm glad I peeked inside!

Hope your weekend is filled with sweet surprises!