Songbirds in color...

 

Feathered friends in full color on natural muslin!

Some of the designs are on a darker~ tea stained muslin.

I selected several friends from my original watercolors...

Printed them onto Strathmore brand transfer paper...

I couldn't resist adding a few pen and ink details!

They can be framed, used as quilt pieces...

Little patches to add to fabric purses~

Oh the fun!

My sweetest Wren friend perched next to a

basket of Forget Me Nots~



Sweet Chamomile surrounded this Purple Finch...

He is from one of my original watercolors selected for

the 2012 Outside My Window calendar!

Thank you for so many sweet comments!
~Artists love to bring joy to others~
You bring joy to me!

Owls

Little owl faces that sit in our white pine tree at night~

Well, at least my interpretation...

We have not been able to see the owl that

shares a long story with us from time to time.

There is a little round profile...

A silhouette against the moonlit sky.

We've been checking his song to samples to identify.

I'm convinced it is a rare, storybook owl.

The little friend that lives inside my children's stories~

Hope your day is filled with wonder!

Outside My Window Calendar 2012

"Outside My Window 2012"

A little peek at my new calendar!

Artist samples arrived last week and local shops

have started selling them already!

I have not purchased any of these to offer for resale...

...I hope to in the years to come.

Most of our friends and family purchase them from

shops that carry Legacy products or Ebay.

I have my 2014 designs all sketched and ready to paint...

Little feathered friends at our feeders have been

holding on tight with these hurricane edge winds!

We're praying for all that are affected by Irene.

This image is April!

My birthday month... and favorite flow blue~

I set one of my pins next to the calendar page

to show you which original watercolor I worked from!

These boxed Christmas cards are also from Legacy...

I love how they bring my watercolors to product!

Another box of cards... and this is the December image

for the 2012 calendar, too!

Hope you have a wonderful evening~

Thank you for stopping by!

Quilt Labels...

When I saw this piece of fabric I fell in love!

I didn't know they were quilt labels...

They are the most beautiful vintage frames...

Just waiting for empty spaces to be filled!

The fabric frames so beautifully...

I'm thankful for the piece I found...

I have been searching for more~

The local quilt shops had a few labels...

They are Christmas theme!

They had never seen this fabric pattern.

This music frame was perfect for a songbird friend...

I'm still working on a few special orders...

We're enjoying the last few weeks of summer~

School will begin in two weeks...

That is when I will begin working on my watercolor calendars!

Deadlines this fall for the year 2014!

I will share pictures of my 2012 calendars in my next post.

The samples arrived last week and warmed my heart.

Hope your August days are sunny and peaceful~

Wishing you every joy!



Pins & Purse Patches from Originals...

Summer is a great time to play!

I love having our children home from school~

Alaina LOVES to try new art materials...

She is the courage in my designs!

(I hope you have stopped by her NEW BLOG)

These pins are made from my original watercolors!

There are several transfer materials on the market...

Strathmore allows the fabric to feel natural, soft and washable!

Use with Ink Jet printers... permanent and vibrant~

I printed the images onto the transfer paper...

Ironed the image onto muslin, linen etc.

Washed the little pictures in Tide...

Pressed them...

And then HAND stitched each piece!

I treasure every hand sewn, machine sewn piece I own...

People who love to stitch~ you're amazing!

Not my strength... but I love the folk, prim look of these~

The little print is stitched to a beautiful piece of color fabric...

Then I stitched them to a piece of wool felt...

Then I stitched a piece of natural muslin to the back...

(to cover up my messy work...)

Stitched a pin in place and hand signed them!

These sweet purse pins will be in my Etsy Shop... tonight!

Hope your day is perfect!

Surprise Giveaway on our daughter's blog!

Please stop by Avery Hill Art for a sweet journey

into our daughter's kind heart!

Alaina has started her own blog and

she is having having her first giveaway!

A sweet little something she made and one of my

small 2012 Outside My Window calenders!

Please visit her adorable Etsy Shop named Avery Hill...

Little peeks of my 2012 calendar...

If you post about HER BLOG giveaway on your blog~

Your name will be put in a special bucket

for a chance to win my signed calendar!

We're hoping oodles of folks will find her blog & Etsy!

Time passes so quickly...
Alaina will be 18 in less than a month~
She has been working on her college portfolio all
summer and making these adorable Canvas Button Cards.


Collecting buttons since she was in elementary school~
There are a lot to share!

Thank you for sharing her blog~
Wishing you joy!

Drawings from Nature...

I'm so tickled to show you this GORGEOUS original

painting by Eileen Postlethwaite!

"Milly" had a giveaway on her blog~

Drawings from Nature

I had left a comment... and I won!

Please stop by and say hello to Milly...

You will be inspired!

Milly takes walks...

Collects the most beautiful treasures...

Brings them to life again with her creative touch!

Milly has an Etsy shop, too!

Drawings from Nature

"A picture is a poem without words"

                           Horace

My heart has been a little heavy with

thoughts of mom~

The miles between us...

There are many miles between Milly and I...
Yet she seems to live, just 'round the corner!
When I opened her package my
heart danced with delight!

I hope you have a moment to visit her blog~
Such a joy!
Wishing each of you sweet surprises!

Simple joys...

A wee little Monarch...

Busy as a bee...

The Ladybug pictures are blurry...

This patch of weeds is the place to be!

We allow it to take over one side of our garage...

Our own little Monarch Village!

Hope your day is sunny and sweet~

Loads of Fabric Originals...

Our Crow friends are hoping for a rain puddle!

The storms and rains are all around us... nothing here~

This post is filled with new art treasures!

I had fun photographing them... I have not seen

the little bear faces and buzzing bees for weeks!

These are waiting room pass-times~

Honey Bees were enjoying our Milkweed blossoms...

I even found a wee baby Monarch caterpillar!

I never made it to the fields to pick strawberries...

They will taste twice as good next year!

Ooodles of bear hugs...

More beary~loving hugs!

The bears and bees will have Vegetable Ivory buttons

included with my little gift tags~ a way to say Thank You!

A little something different... I love the warm colors!

Hope you will visit my Etsy Store to find

these treasures and more!

I'm on my way to list them now!

Wishing you all the best, Sweet Friends~

He knew...

When I was away, daytime would roll into the wee hours

of nighttime without much notice.

The hum of moms air conditioner replaced the sounds of

my feathered friends who wake me in the morning~

I read a scripture that caught my heart.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped..."

Psalm 28:7

That afternoon I set out for my new palette~

This expense was not in my budget.
I gathered a hand full of tubes, just the basics...
Trying to think quickly, so the attendant could lock the case!
As I started down the isle a woman touched my arm
and asked if I had the coupon. I smiled and said no...
She sorted through a small collection of papers and
handed me a coupon. It wasn't a typical 40% one item...
It was 40% off your ENTIRE paint purchase!
I choked up!
Gave the woman a hug!
The kind woman asked if painting was a way to relax.
I tried to explain briefly about my projects & deadlines~
That I was visiting from out of town...
It is difficult to describe my job in one sentence.
When you share that you're a professional artist
some people nod and smile...
Others laugh and comment, "Aren't we all..."
Others are intrigued.
This woman was genuinely interested...
So I shared.
She was very kind. We talked for 15 minutes or more.
The scripture floated through my mind as we wished
each other a pleasant day...
I was helped.
God knew my needs.

I couldn't forget the woman.
I trotted back into the store to see if I could find her.
She hadn't left! I asked if she would permit me to send
her a small gift~ to thank her for the $50 she saved me!
Not sure I would hand out my address to an odd duck...
She did!
I think a mini 2012 calendar might be the perfect gift~
I hope she will be reminded of how much she
touched my heart... each time she peeks at the date!

Thank you, Sweet Friends... for so many uplifting
comments and for all of your prayers~
The world is good.
People are good.
God is so very good.

Hope your day is filled with  joy and love~

Winner and Make-do Palette...

Last night I returned home...

My mom has been fighting stage 4 breast cancer for

almost four years now. I have been out of town caring

for her after she suffered a Pulmonary embolism.

She lives in the city... a pleasant place to visit~

However I am a country girl and there is no place like home.

I think my flowers all waved to me when I drove in!

We have a winner!

Megan Chamberlain

The little vintage dress has been waiting patiently

for my return... eager to find a lovely new home!

Do hope you will visit Megan's blog~ a treat!

I knew this trip might keep me away for a while.

I thought to pack folders of reference material,

Several sketch diaries, pens, fabric squares, ink,

watercolor paper, triangle... ruler... but forgot the palette.

That is an expensive tool to replace...

As time passed and deadlines grew near, paint was needed.

While mom was napping I set out to pick up her meds.,

a few groceries and make a quick trip to the art store.

The palettes were all plastic.

You can see from the first image, my main palettes are

well worn, loved, messy... plastic. It takes time to break

in the plastic surface where I mix the pigments. I was hoping

to find an enamel tray or ceramic plate. Nothing.



I gathered a basic collection of Winsor & Newton tubes...

They had most of my favorites: Perm. Alizarin Crimson,

Cadmium Orange, Quinacridone Gold, Winsor Yellow,

Green Gold, Hooker's Green, Cerulean Blue,

French Ultramarine, Indigo and Sepia...

...and I needed basic brushes 6 round, 4 round,

a flat and a liner... I added a few extras for good measure!

But what to put them on?

An antique store... maybe they would have an enamelware

plate or old butcher tray! I only knew of one store...

The perfect palette was found!

The cover to this little container has a troth around the rim...

Held the paint away from the water & mixing area~

Success!

Mom is very weak but stable~

Can never express exactly how much I LOVE nurses.

They work wonders and their compassionate hearts

are a gift from God.

Wishing you  joy, Sweet Friends!

I will blog when I can~ always thinking of you!

Vintage Dress Giveaway!

Summer has arrived!

I hope your days have been filled with wonderful

memories... fun projects... creative moments and joy!

Thank you for your messages and emails~

I was away from my Blog and Etsy to care for family...

Also finished working on a very fun & exciting project!

My studio is back in order...

I'm catching up on special requests...

I have Oooodles of goodies to list later this afternoon!

But first... we have a new GIVEAWAY!

This tiny vintage dress caught my eye

last summer when we were in Madison-Bouckville.

Seems a bit too large for a Barbie type doll...

A bit too small for a teddy bear...

But JUST RIGHT for a Giveaway!

It measures approx. 3" wide at the tummy.

It is 7" long from shoulder to hem.

I drew the baby bird on this delicate piece~

Anyone can enter to win this little treasure!

Simply leave a message on this post and

your name will be put in the hat~

We will pull a name one week from today...

June 30th!

I look forward to visiting your blogs and catching up!

Etsy treasures will be listed later today~

Wishing all of you joy!