Saturday, April 25, 2009

Giveaway Winner!

I would like to announce that the winner of the "Beloved" painting giveaway is:
Mary from Daisy Bouguet! Please stop by her blog to congratulate her! Now for those of you who didn't win, you can blame it on this good looking guy:


My son, Eric, got to draw the lucky winner. This is a big week for him. Friday was his 25th birthday and he graduates next Saturday with his masters in European History. So, today we had a little party for him. We all went together and got him a nice new laptop computer and he's a pretty happy guy! He'll need this when he goes to Spain in the fall to teach for a semester or two. I was told by several people that "Skype" would be the next best thing to seeing him in person, so we thought a really nice laptop would be the perfect gift. We're so proud of you Eric!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Giveaway Correction

I realized that I forgot to mention the deadline for the giveaway. You have until Friday the 24th at midnight to post a comment on my previous post in order to enter. Remember to come back to the same post and comment again if you mention it on your blog, in order to be entered twice. Don't forget to leave your email address in your comment or a link to your blog. Also, there has been some confusion and I want to clarify that it's the "Beloved" painting that is the giveaway and not the "Sugar Plum Bakery" painting. The giveaway is an actual painting and not a print.
Recently I shared with you my daughter, Amber's, blog. Now, it seems as though everyone in the family wants their own blog. Our dog, Annie, with the assistance of my hubby, Rick, has started a blog of her own. You can check her out here.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Sugar Plum Bakery Folk Art Painting and a Giveaway Painting!

"Sugar Plum Bakery" is the newest addition to my Ebay auctions.

Auralee's grandmother taught her to bake when she was a young girl and she turned this talent into a business. Very early in the morning the sweet scent of bakery confections and coffee concoctions drifts through the air guiding loyal customers to the Sugar Plum Bakery. Customers feel that the climb up the hill each morning and the descent down help to alleviate the added calories that her tasty treats cause. Her motto is proudly displayed in her shop, "Life is a dessert, sweet and satisfying". A black and white checked border surrounds the scene. Auralee's motto is lettered in black on a clay, red textured border. A coordinating black and white ribbon is wrapped around the edges of the canvas and is tied in a bow at the top.

Click on the photos for a closer view.

Remember life is a dessert so savor it!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Win this little 4" x 4" canvas "Beloved" painting.

Description from the Bible Concordance: a title of endearment

Each and every one of my blog readers are very dear to me, so I decided on this painting for this particular reason.


Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. For another chance to win, please mention my "Giveaway" along with the above photo on your blog, then come back here and leave me another comment to let me know. Be sure to leave an email address on your comment if you don't have a blog link so I can contact you if you win.

Along with the painting you will receive a certificate of authenticity with this little story that goes with the painting:

Bob and Mona have known each other since they were little children. They were neighbors and walked to school together. They started dating in high school and were married not long after they graduated. The two newly weds purchased a little cottage and made it their own where they raised two children and a variety of pets. They know that their "Beloved Lord" has blessed their lives and hope they can be worthy of his grace.



Good luck!!








Thursday, April 16, 2009

Fairy Princess of Ladybugs and all Small Creatures

Recently one of my husband's business contacts became a new father. My hubby wanted me to paint something for their baby. After seeing photos of the nursery done in pink and brown with pink and brown ladybugs, this is what I came up with. You can click on the image to get a closer view.

A pink and brown dotted ribbon is wrapped around the edges of the canvas and tied in a bow at the top. Glitter is applied to the fairy wings. This was a fun diversion from my usual style of painting.




My sweet daughter just started her own blog and you can check it out here. Please stop by and leave her a comment to welcome here to our community of blogging friends. My baby girl is such a cutie pie!



At "Etsy Stalker", Violet (isn't that a great name) featured one of my prints on her blog. She has a great blog promoting lots of talented Etsy sellers. Just click on the button below:
Stalked!



Thanks Violet!

This week Kaili's Art Blog, Billy and Button, presented me with the Renee Award. Please check out my sweet blogging friend from Australia, Kailie's blog. She is so talented!

The Renee Award was recently created by Bella and Ces in honour of their friend Renee. They are such talented group of women. In Bella's words:
"this is a brand new award, and I have the pleasure and honor of spreading the seed, watching it grow. I hope it finds its way to those who are like Renee: the acorn, a small package becoming a tall and sturdy oak giving more acorns, becoming tall and sturdy oaks, giving acorns…"

Due to time constraints, I want to pass this on to all my talented blogging friends:





Thanks Kaili! I have a giveaway coming soon!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Recipe Cupcake Painting

Have a wonderful Easter weekend with your family celebrating the promise of our risen Lord! Our little country church has a sunrise service outside where we can also watch the sun come up. Parishioners are cuddled in blankets and sleepy children are awed as the pastor speaks, his breath rising in the air. On a hill near the pastor is a stone tomb where a play is enacted of Jesus rising from the dead as our Lord promised.

We then gather inside where the men have made a breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage gravy, and biscuits to serve to this early congregation.

"Everyday Cupcakes" auction on eBay


A moist white cupcake with milk chocolate frosting is painted on top of a recipe from an old cookbook that is decoupaged to a canvas. Tiny blue confetti is sprinkled on top of the fluffy frosting. A blue dotted cupcake liner and a "white" tag embellish this yummy cupcake. A tiny black and white checked ribbon is hot glued above the label. A black and white checked ribbon is attached to the edge of the canvas. The entire picture is painted except for the recipe and the ribbon.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Sweet Delights Cupcake Painting and a Baby Shower

"Sweet Delights" is my new cupcake painting which is listed on eBay.
Three delightfully delicious flavors of cupcakes are displayed on a charming white cake stand decorated with red berries. Heaping piles of cream cheese frosting tops each cupcake along with red candy decorations. Decorative tags are painted on each cupcake with the flavor printed in the center. A red and white checked bow is glued to the cake stand.
Click on the picture for a closer view.
6" x 12"

A couple of weeks ago, I had a baby shower for a dear friend's daughter. My friend has been blessed with two absolutely adorable grandson's in the last year and a half. Then she got a call this week with the news that once again she is going to be a grandma in nine months. I'm happy to hug and kiss on her grandbabies and to be called Aunt Cathie. I hope I'm blessed with such sweet ones some day.

Here are a few of the treats we served that day. We made Onsie cookies, petits fours, and Life Saver pacifiers. I got the idea for the pacifiers from Paula Deen's magazine. They are put together with two life savers and a jelly bean. Glue them together with royal frosting and add a cute ribbon.

See the snow on my deck through the back door? We got about four inches of snow that day.


I made a Noah's Ark banner for sweet baby Joseph.



and a Noah's Ark diaper cake center piece.


God has truly blessed this wonderful family!



Thursday, April 2, 2009

Cup of Carrot Cake Cupcake Painting

Hi all! I took a much needed break from my computer for a couple of weeks. A baby shower for a dear friend who became a grandma for the second time, was given at my home. I will share some of the treats and decorating from the shower soon. Special orders for house portraits have kept me very busy as well. Today my brain needed some down time so I painted this little canvas. Now what does that say about me? This little painting could be used to decorate for Easter or used year round.

A delicious moist carrot cake with rich cream cheese frosting is displayed in a charming little rabbit and carrot patterned cup and saucer. It is topped with a nest of green coconut and blue candy eggs. Black letting at the top spells "Carrot" and is dripping with cream cheese frosting.