Happy 150th Birthday Klimt

Oh Sweet Summer!

 

A great watermelon salad from Cooking Weekend!

4 cups cold seedless watermelon, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup feta, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
2 tbsp salted pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper

dressing
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp orange juice

Combine the vinegar and orange juice. Sprinkle evenly over the salad and serve.

Yarn...

... it makes me so happy!

I love this piece by Yuko Shimizu. A tsunami of yarn, bring it on!

Finally Finished!...

"Crewel Intentions"

... I finally finished the piece I started in January, that I thought I was going to finish in April. Click here to read my 1st blog post.  You can see how much she changed from the initial first couple of layers of paint.  I lost track of how many layers there are now but they all show up somewhere or another in the piece.  This is one that I wished I had taken pictures of to do a new video.    I made her "crewel" expression a little less cruel.   This Angel is going to Spoiled Rotten Gallery & Boutique today as part of my show on Friday.  Friday the 13th! I hope it lucky for me!  I wish everyone could see her  in person.  If you are in this neck of the woods please stop by & say hi! Friday 13th, 4 - 9pm Spoiled Rotten Gallery.  I also painted another snail & mushroom painting that had been stuck in my head since I did the first one, both will be at the gallery. 

"Vista View"

"Love At First Sight"

I have been working on mermaids for The Empress shop and I am opening up my own Mermaid shop on Etsy. I have a few things in there now but I'm not at the Grand Opening stage yet.  I have been working on an Indian Maiden Mermaid or Mountain Mermaid. I have a ways to go on her. Again I didn't take pictures that I wish I had. Speaking of copying and mermaids. I also noticed a few Angel Mermaids on Ebay. I was surprised because I didn't know there were Angel Mermaids until I painted them, but at least the artists did their own thing with them. I'll show you some of the fun Mermaid stuff in upcoming posts. Here is my newest Mermaid Painting...

"Circle of Friends"

I have been trying out some fun things I've found on  Pinterest.  I tried out the caramel recipe found in my "Party, Party Party!" Board, it's awesome!  I tried letter painting on wood which you will find in my "Crafty Cravings" Board, it works great! I did a couple of signs which I will show you in an upcoming post.  I also tried the peroxide & dish washing liquid claimed to be a miracle cleaner. wa wah NOT. Don't pin that one when you see it!
Create a beautiful day!

Happy 4th of July!

Hope you have a Blast!

You're Invited!

It's One of Those Days...

Pinned & Lit Up

...  I love Pinterest! I hope you follow me there as well. Just click on the button to the right. I find the greatest things there and people too! It is inspiring to see all of my favorite things rather than go through scores of links. I am a visual person. Here is a glass bottle project tutorial that I have made simple for you from tutorials I've found there!

Start a fire...

Drill some holes...

Add some Chain...

I don't have a shot glass collection but if I did.....

I'm Not Getting Paid...

... to promote this pen. Just sharing how much I love them. My heavenly Precise pens. I do so much writing, drawing, painting, crochet, knitting and sewing, that my fingers, hands and wrists get sore. I barely have to pull this pen, the ink just flows out, it even makes my handwriting prettier. (Oh and chopping. I love chopping veggies. I could chop chop all day.)   The pen I was using just ran dry. When I came to my senses I found myself hanging there, glazed over, peering down into the garbage can, silently clinging on to it, like I was saying goodbye to an old friend! Wah wah it's like reading the last page of a book. Do you have a pen that you love to use, I'd love to hear what kind it is and if it flows better than these do! Scribble something today!

And Away We Go...

...Tomorrow Hubby is taking me to a fabric warehouse in Reno, NV that is over 10,000 sq ft.! I'm so excited. I'm packing my walking shoes!! After he drags me out of there, perhaps peeling my fingers off the door handle, we are off for 2 days for Lake Tahoe and a great big tub.   I'll probably be daydreaming about the fabric store and pinning for my sewing machine the whole time! hahaha  

"Fishermen"

Have a whimsical week!

Just My Cup of Tea...

...I found this really sweet card at The Graphics Fairy's craft blog. Karen has some beautiful free Victorian & French clip art. Her blog is so awesome! Thanks so much Karen! I would definitely glitter this up just like Karen did.
Click HERE for the printable PDF file.
Happy Mother's Day!

A Crewel Fasination...

...a few months ago, before things went sideways around here, I became fasinated with crewel work.  Years ago I spent many hours after work doing hand embroidery & I'd love to do some now, but I just tried my hand at free motion machine embroidery and now I'm hooked! I have to start my Christmas list. I started this painting in January and hope to get it finished this week. Here are all my  Crewel Cravings:

Work In Progress

"Crewel Intentions"

18 x 24

I am not quite happy with her expression on the left side yet and have lots of work to do on the crewel pattern & wings as well.  She is going to be hard to part with.

Oh I wish you could see these Bohemian beauties in person. The photos don't do them justice. I just listed them in my Etsy Shop as well as some other hand painted shoes!



Machine Embroidery on Jeans

As you can see I need some practice, but I have to say I did better than I thought I would! There is something very soothing sewing back & forth in little tiny motions. I can't wait to do more.

Like my original design? Just right click on the design and print.   You are welcome to use it for personal projects, but please do not use this crewel pattern on any projects that are to be sold. 



Let's Face It...

...I know and you know I don't have a green thumb BUT it is gonna get greener this year! (eternally optimistic)  I am spring cleaning, planting and re-potting. Need to run go get smelling salts? I decided to put faces on all my plants, I do love faces. I actually want to go buy more plants so I get get more pots to paint! Maybe I will water them, become more attached... or maybe I will just feel more guilt if I don't? LOL 

                

 Thanks Mom! My Mom, a true Southern Folk Artist,  made this blue eyed smiling "pothead" just for me! She is ceramic.  Isn't she wonderfully whimsical?! I love her, she makes me smile everytime I see it.  I painted the face on the clay pot above, I actually have 3 now.  I can see this may become addictive. I used regular craft paint. (Folk Art or Americana) Burnt sienna, Terra Cotta, Barn Red, Ivory, and Black.  I encourage you to paint a pot! If you do please be sure to link to my post so we can see your "pothead"!!

  My garden is getting happier & happier and so am I.
~

Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

Isaiah 64:8

Life is Sweet...

...Eat it up! I can't wait to make this cake.
Click HERE for the Recipe and Tutorial to make this easy elegant cake. Share with all your friends. Pineapple cake is my favorite, what's yours?

In Loving Memory...

~In Loving memory of our sister Kellyann Campbell ~

 I will miss you until I see you in Heaven Baby Girl.

It's Not That Easy...

"Casting Cares"

Psalm 55:22

Sharing Sweet Shoes

I found this paper project at absolutebodo.com and fell so in love with them! I thought you might too so I'm sharing my find! Thank you absolute bodo! They got me daydreaming of a christmas tree dripping with these, ribbon bows & crystals, a tea party with these as placecards, a keychain, a shelf full around the top of a room ....

You can find the instructions on how to make these lovelies HERE.

Please share your daydreams/ideas, we'd all love to hear them!

 

I'm the Only Girl In the World...

... is what my mother said. "You are the only girl in the world that can be sweetened up with jalapeno peppers!" She might be right. They do make me happy! I was grumpy this morning & don't mind admitting it, so Hubby went shopping and returned with this big beautiful bag of peppers. A rose, no thanks, just give me a stinking rose (garlic) and some peppers! ♥♥♥

I made these peppers last week and they were devoured in abouth 48 hours. Not exaggerating. (I'm not the only pepperhead around here ) I will admit I probably ate 1/2 of them. I hope you make some. They aren't as hot as you might think! After slicing I put them in a big bowl of cold water, which rinsed them and removed a lot of the seeds but I did not try to remove the seeds when packing them.

20 large Jalapenos
6 large cloves of Garlic

Thinly sliced not chopped

3 TBS sugar & 5 TBS of White Vinegar

5 Cups of boiling salty water ( 5 C water + 3 TBS salt)

And the clock starts ticking...

No Longer Able To Resist...

My first & perhaps last, Frida Kahlo painting. So many artist paint her & finally I could no longer resist the temptation. I recently watched Selma Hayek's "Frida" for the 2nd time and it's just stayed with me. The movie & the artist compel me to look at things in a different light, it demands that I examine my feelings and what I put on canvas. Frida's story teaches me to paint like no one's looking, what's in my heart. She was in my heart the other night. I regret not going to her exhibit when it was in San Francisco. Next time I won't miss it.

"Frida, The Fierce Side"

One side of Frida Kahlo, so colorful, lively, lovely, flamboyant,

...the other...too painful to paint.

So free, yet so imprisoned.

Tiny But Mighty

Small but Sweet, Tiny but Mighty!

New little Angels just listed on Ebay!
Click Here

A Little Doll...

Back to Business

What? It's almost the end of the month. I have been so busy! It's good to be busy but I have been feeling a little overwhelmed the last few weeks. I am listing some paintings on Ebay with low starting bids. I just listed this mermaid with a starting bid of just $20! Click on the picture to make your bid. I am cleaning out my studio so I will be listing a few more.

I finished a few paintings for the gallery class I will be teaching. Simple and easy. More than a few people have expressed an interest in buying a tutorial painting class to see & learn how I paint. So I tried to make a video of myself giving a class. Oh geez!! I can't do it. I want to but unless I stay totally out of the picture or wear a bag over my head it's not going to happen! The unknown artist instead of the unknown comic! hahaha I'm too shy for my own good. I'm going to work on it though!

I am revamping my studio to make room to sew. I used to sew all the time but haven't touched a machine in years. I am having so much fun "painting" with thread. Free-motion sewing using they embroidery or darning part of the machine is so much fun. I'm not really good at it yet. Here is the first thing I have done. It's going to be a pillow cover. I didn't use stabilizer so it puckered more than I thought it would. If you care to try this be sure to use interfacing or stabilizer, or double the fabric so that you won't get the puckers. I love the look of it, like a pencil drawing. I have a long list of pillows like this I want to make.

Time, juggle, juggle, juggle...

Create a great day!

Dear Blog...

...Happy New Year a few weeks late. This year is going faster than last year already! I made a resolution to love you more and spend more time with you this year. Starting tomorrow. :)

And more time with you too my Angels! I have lots of new projects to share. Painting & free motion sewing. This year I am going to be working on some tutorial/videos both free & for sale and I will be giving classes at the Spoiled Rotten Gallery in town very soon.