Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Have a happy safe Halloween

Our dog, Annie, was a little freaked out by our daughter, Amber's, "Halloween" wig. She thought it was one of her stuffed animal toys.
This is an old painting that I sold last year. I love painting for Halloween, but can't seem to get enough of them done each year.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!


Tuesday, October 30, 2007

My Sweet Cat Bailey

This little angel is Bailey. I'm highly allergic to my cats but there is no way I can resist them! She loves to hide under the covers even though she knows that she isn't allowed on the bed. She thought I wouldn't be able to find her I'm sure.
This little 4 inch x 4 inch painting was added to my eBay listings last night. I've taken a couple of days off and now have to play catch-up.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Decorating Children's Rooms with Paint

I painted these rooms for two sweet young ladies. In Megan's room the walls were painted a light cream color. I painted a wide border at the top of the wall and then lightly sanded it to give a distressed look. The verse was painted pink and I added bows and pink flowers around the doors and windows.

Looks like my daughter was sneeking through the door as I took this picture.
There are also tiny little pink roses painted between the words.

Megan's room is painted a light pink with pink striped ribbons and roses.
For a closer view, click on the individual photos



Friday, October 26, 2007

Designer Show Home Benefiting Breast Cancer

My daughter, Amber, and I did the wall finish and stenciling above the mirror for this designer home a few years ago. We taped off and ragged stripes in the bedroom, and then stenciled the tassels and added some extra freehand details to the stenciling. This stencil is available from Royal Design Studio.
This is a photo of the sink area where we taped off and wragged painted these faux panels.
You may click on any of the photos to get a larger view.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Deerbrook Village Autumn Folk Art Painting

Good morning! I finished this painting and listed it last night on eBay. You can click on the above title to go directly to this auction.


Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins live across the lane from Miss Carolina who lives in the house with the blue shutters. She joins them for coffee every morning before heading to work at her pie shoppe. This morning she has brought one of her famous pies to share with their coffee. A chill is in the air and smoke drifts from the chimneys of the cozy cottages. A church sits at the top of the hill between two trees that are shedding their yellow leaves. A kaleidoscope of colorful red, orange, and yellow leaves fall in piles on the ground and scatter in the breeze in this autumn folk art painting.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Using Paint to Decorate Your Home

In a previous post I showed you a verse that I had painted in my kitchen. In this photo which is shot from inside my living room looking through the entrance and into the dining room, you can see a verse that is painted above the doorway. I asked my son, who is great at writing to help me come up with a saying and this is what we came up with: "Like the vines in a vineyard the ties of family grow." This coordinates great with the grapevines that I stenciled in this room. The stencil is available through Royal Design Studios. Click on the photo for a closeup view.
Be creative with your lettering. Here I've painted a verse on the stairway risers leading to my son's room on the third floor. His room is decorated in a beach theme and the verse leads you there.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Playful Cats - Snicker and Doodle Painting


This is my newest painting featuring the playful cats. Autumn is here full speed now and the leaves are changing and falling off the trees. It won't be long now till winter is here.




Two playful cats, Snicker and Doodle, frolick in the autumn leaves. Snicker rolls over on his back and flops in the crunchy leaves. Doodle just stares in disbelief that her brother could be so silly. They live with Miss Bessie in the white cottage at the top of the hill. Their neighbors on each side have dogs, that love to annoy them. All they have to do is hisssssss and the dogs are back inside where they belong!




You can click on the title above to go directly to this auction.


Monday, October 22, 2007

Christmas in Fox Creek Village

This painting has a lot more detail than the others that I usually sell on eBay. I got a little carried away and had a great time painting it! Simply click on the above title to go directly to this auction.

The Christmas decorating committee have outdone themselves this year in the Village of Fox Creek. Everyone including the surrounding community have decked the halls, houses, bridges, etc. with evergreen boughs, wreaths, and bright red ribbons. A large wreath on each end of the covered bridge invites people into the village. Families, tired from shopping, have stopped in at Jake's Fine Dining. You can see the silhouettes of customers through the windows. Next door at the "Knit Wit Yarn Shoppe", students have gone home after an evening knitting and socializing. Note the large knitting needles and yarn attached to the top of the sign. Guests at Fox Creek Inn are enjoying hot apple cider and cookies before a roaring fire. Outside streetlights create a warm glow as a couple pass arm in arm over the bridge. A snowman behind the village waves happily with his red mittens.

If you have any questions, feel welcome to ask them through the comment link below.


Sunday, October 21, 2007

Ceiling Stencil



We've lived in this old house for 6 1/2 years now. The blue striped wall paper was already there so I decided to paint my table top (not an antique) to coordinate. I then tackled the cabinet in this photo by painting it to match the table and made it into a clock. 

Next, I stenciled a design on the ceiling. We had come from an old ranch house that had sprayed popcorn ceilings which I hated and was anxious to do some painting on a ceiling. In this photo you can see the blue stenciling along the edge of the ceiling.

I also stenciled around the light fixture. I wear trifocals and being that close to the ceiling, I had to tip my head back so far that this was torture on my neck. Therefore, I decided to wear my glasses upside down! This stencil came from Royal Design Studios.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Decorating With Paint Around The Home

Want to add a little something special to a room that is inexpensive? Paint a verse around the walls near the ceiling. You can type the verse on your computer and enlarge the letters. If you have a banner program you can use that. Find the center of the wall that you are putting the lettering on and mark it with a watercolor pencil or chalk. Lay out your verse and tape it all together. Fold the verse in half to find the center. Tape the center of the verse to the mark on the wall using blue painter's tape. Slide graphite paper (comes in white or black) under the verse and trace with a stylus or empty pen. I use calligraphy strokes with paint, but if you don't have that training you can fill the letters in with flat or round brushes and craft paint. Mine happens to run around the corner of the room, but you can center it on one wall only if you want. Just play around with the size of the lettering to make it fit the area you want. Next time I'll share a photo of some lettering in my living room that is centered over a doorway.
The painted pieces on the shelf are from some of my instructions books. The large painting above the shelf was a gift from my children on Mother's Day a few years ago.
In this corner I've painted a scene from my husband's grandparent's farm in Missouri on this wood clock. The cabinet was a project that I painted for a seminar. There is a verse that I wrote and painted around the border on the door that says, "Enter through the garden gate, where minds can dream, while hands create."

Friday, October 19, 2007

New Christmas Folk Art Painting Coming Soon

I've been having such a good time working on this painting this week that I got a little carried away and spent all my time on it. I love painting Christmas scenes and adding all the little decorations here and there. It's like decorating the house for the holidays without having to get out the mess and put the boxes away! I will finish this painting today and list it Sunday evening on eBay.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Textured Wall Finish


I'm currently working on a 16 x 20 Christmas village painting, but in the meantime I thought I would share with you one of my wall finishes. This is a textured wall that I did for a friend that also has an embossed stencil at the top of the wall. We did this in a small powder room and it really gave a Tuscan feel to the room.




Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Thanksgiving in Kirkwood Village

I absolutely love autumn! The colorful crunching leaves, pumpkins, mums, etc. Beauty is everywhere, even in the air we breath during this time of year. This is a very simple painting. This is how I want to live my life; simple and uncluttered. This painting is listed on eBay and by "simply" clicking on the title, you can go directly to this auction.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 100:1


Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Plum Creek Christmas Folk Art Painting

I added this little painting to my eBay auctions last night. I know it's early for Christmas but, it is my most requested subject. I will have more autumn paintings as well.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Our Trip to Hannibal, MO

And that's about all I have to say about this trip! Just kidding. Isn't this rain suit just a lovely shade of shocking blue? One thing is for sure, people couldn't miss us coming! Rick didn't keep his on long enough for me to get his picture. He did wear the pants though. The weather changed overnight from nice dry weather in the 60's to very wet weather in the 50's.



We somehow managed to avoid all the rain and had a great though chilly trip. Clarksville and Louisiana, MO were my favorite little towns and we hope to return again next year when the weather is better.




I loved this old Episcopal church in Louisiana, MO. I took a picture for future reference for a painting.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Christmas In New Haven Folk Art Painting


I am blogging tonight because my husband and I will be leaving for Hannibal, MO early in the morning for our last motorcycle trip of the year. It will be in the low 40's in the morning, so it's going to be a pretty cooooool ride. You will be able to directly link to this auction by clicking on the above title.

This sweet little village is ready for Christmas. An old home sits high on a hill looking down on the peaceful little village below. Lydia owns the boarding house and Daphne owns the art gallery. Take a better look at this auction on eBay. The scene wraps around the 1.5 inch edges. There are more photos of this piece in the listing.


Faux Painted Rug and Slippers

This is another view of the faux painted rug and slippers with the furniture now in the room. This is the guest room that I fixed for my inlaws when they would visit from Rockaway Beach. At the time I was painting this floor my mother in law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and I thought this would help cheer her up on her visits to our home. She got to stay in this room once it was completed only a 2 or 3 times. But, she really enjoyed the slippers on the floor. We dearly miss her.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Sewing an Apron

My daughter Amber wants a sewing machine. She came over yesterday and we spent the day making an apron. We used my paint splattered apron as a template.
Days like this are such a treasure!
Here is my favorite painting apron and Amber's new pink cowgirl print apron!
I love the way the back of these are made! What could be better than a mother/daughter day spent learning to sew a very valuable piece of clothing. Aprons are passed down from generations. A great book to read is "The Apron Book" by EllynAnne Geisel which celebrates the apron. An apron was, and should be, the work horse of every woman's home. Amber has been collecting aprons from garage sales and has her own nice little collection.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Village of Woodridge Folk Art Painting


Ahhhhh!! Nothing like a cup of coffee and a warm chocolate chip cupcake to get me jump started! I added this painting to by eBay auctions last night. I'm getting a lot of requests for large autumn paintings. This one is a 16 x 20. Simply click on the above title to go directly to this auction.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Folk Art Floorcloth

No it's not Christmas yet. I just wanted to share a photo of the floorcloth that I painted for my entrance. Also, you can see the stairs as they looked before I removed the carpet and started refinishing them. I'll continue to update you with photos of the stairs as I decide what to do with them. It was quite a disappointment when I removed the carpet and saw the paint spots that where there. There was blue paint, white paint, and drywall mud all over them. The main stairs were just pine boards, not oak as I had invisioned. Last night when I removed the carpet from the landing at the top, guess what? No oak hardwood flooring, just plywood! Then the last two steps above the landing, believe it or not, actual oak treads!

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Wall Mural at Garden Shoppe

This is the beginning of a wall mural that I painted at our local Old English Garden Shoppe. You can click on each picture to get a larger view. Note in the next photo that this plaque is painted above the door.
This is an actual door that I painted green and then painted a flower basket on the door.
This is an overall view of the mural. It's hard to see the topiaries that are painted on each side of the door. Guess I should have take pictures before they put their merchandise in the store.
This is a closeup of the cat painted on the stone wall. I tried to disguise the lightswitch plate by painting the ivy down onto it.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Faux Rug

I won't have another painting done until the first of next week so I thought I'd share a photo of the faux rug and slippers that I painted on the floor of our guest bedroom. The floors where in pretty rough condition in this room so I thought this would help disguise the defects.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Two Itty Bitty Folk Art Paintings


Here are my latest eBay additions. Seven stairs done and five more to go! When they are finished, I'll post some before and after pictures.