Black Forest Pink Frosting Cupcake Painting

Just a quick reminder to let you know that I do still paint and below is a new cupcake painting to prove it. I've listed this one on eBay and it ends next week. You can check out my listing here.

"Black Forest Cupcake"

A delicious "Black Forest" cupcake with fluffy pink frosting is topped with white confetti sprinkles. A banner at the top reveals the flavor of the cupcake and branches of green foliage accents the background. A pink and brown grosgrain ribbon wraps around the edges of the canvas and is tied in a bow at the top.

I would like to thank all the people who have served in our military in the past and present. Thank you for your service to our country. We also want to remember and give gratitude to those who gave their lives for our freedom. I keep you in my prayers daily.

My Daughter's Mother's Day Gift

In the last post I mentioned that my lovely daughter, Amber, had embroidered a Mother's Day gift for me. I hung it in the dining room and here it is. Isn't it darling!

You can click on the photo for a closer view.
These little violas just seem to pop up everywhere and Annie loves to sniff them.

I received this sweet award from Kathie at My Net Finds. Check out her blog daily for fabulous internet deals. I'm passing this award on to all my devoted blog readers. Thanks Kathie!

I got an anonymous comment on my last post asking me if I'd taught my son to cook. Honestly, if I had cooked anything like that when he was young he wouldn't have touched it with a 10 foot pole! He was a very picky eater. When he went off to college and started traveling to Russia, Egypt, Germany.....etc. he had to learn to eat different types of food. He now searches the internet for recipes and has taught himself to cook. As a child he would make strange sandwiches like grilled cheese with pepperoni and I was impressed by that!

I just want to let everyone know that I haven't stopped painting. I've been very busy with commissioned pieces and will get back to doing some paintings for ebay soon.

I had a recent comment from Janine who lives in Germany and is also a folk artist. You can check out her blog and her artwork here. She is going to be having surgery on her foot soon and she ordered my book "Charming Village Scenes You Can Paint" so she could have something to read while she's laid up. Stop by and give her some encouragement. I never think to mention that this book is still available from Amazon.

Instead of sharing a painting, here is a new print that I listed on Etsy and Ebay today: "Cat Nap"

Miss Betty's cats lazily nap around her old farm house. Oreo naps on top of the clothes line pole where laundry flaps in the gentle breeze and Peppermint sleeps in the laundry basket. Sybil rests precariously on the upper balcony railing. The birds are a lot smarter than what Licorice gives them credit for. What a lively bunch of felines!

Sauteed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Roated Lemons Recipe

Eric was slaving away in the kitchen on Mother's Day making dinner for me. Rick (handsome hubby), Eric, and I loved it. I would definitely recommend this dish and have added it to my "internet" cookbook.You can find this recipe for Sauteed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Roasted Lemons here.

Eric even cleaned up the kitchen. I could get used to this!

My daughter Amber made me the cutest embroidered picture for Mother's Day which I will share as soon as I decide where I'm hanging it. I can't decide on the dining room or the bedroom.

Happy Mother's Day

My greatest accomplishment in life is being a mother. I've always wanted to be a stay at home mom. I tried working for about a week when Amber was young and just couldn't stand the thought of leaving her each day. Over the years I began giving art lessons in our home and the kids were my helpers. We would travel to decorative painting conventions throughout the US and they would help me set up my booth displays. They loved working for mom!

My kids always loved a bed time story and then would say their prayers before going to sleep. We read the "Little House on the Prairie" series through twice before passing them on to Grandma Chickie to enjoy.
When my sweet girl graduated from college, my sister and I took her to Hawaii. This was taken on the balcony of our hotel room.


Then, 7 years later this little one entered our lives. I never thought I could share this much love with another child. Now my heart is overflowing. There is nothing better then squeezing a sweet smelling clean toddler. Eric had those cute little curls even then. Instead of reading "Little House" books he had me reading him encyclopedias as bedtime stories.

I loved dancing with my little guy.




We were almost the same height when he got into middle school, then he passed me up pretty quickly.
Eric is making a special supper for us tonight. I can hear him cooking away as I type. I will share this with you later.

These two have blessed my life and still make my heart ache with joy!

Since they were 7 years apart, they always got along and never fought. Amber was like a little mommy to Eric.
Uhhh, I think someone has out grown their big sister by a mile!

You two have blessed and continue to bless my life in ways you'll never know, until of course you become parents and make your dad and I grandparents!

"Happy Mother's Day!"

He Graduated!!

Eric graduated with his Master's Degree this past Saturday, May 2nd. It was a beautiful spring day and a beautiful ceremony as well. His sister, Amber, is quite proud of him too and loved returning to the campus where she graduated from. We are so proud of both of them and know the Lord blessed us the day these two entered our lives and formed a family.

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!

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.

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!!

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:

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!

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.

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!

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 Cup of Carrot Cake"

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.

Cherry Chocolate Cupcake Painting and Giveaway

This "Cherry Chocolate Cupcake" painting is listed on eBay and ends this week.

5" x 7"

A chocolate fudge cupcake mixed with cherry pie filling is topped with fluffy, butter cream, piped frosting with a cherry on top. Displayed on a black cake stand embellished with tiny ruby colored crystals, this dessert is a treat for the eyes as well as the tummy. This fudgey, cherry concoction is wrapped in a cute red and white polka dot cake liner. A red grosgrain ribbon with white dots is wrapped around the edges of the canvas and tied in a bow at the top.

Now please rush right over to Laurel Plum Online because she's offering a "Giveaway" of one of my prints. The giveaway ends this Friday the 27th. Laurel has a beautiful blog full of tips on getting organized.

Bedside Table Redesign

Around Christmas I shared this picture of my new lamp that I bought for my bedroom. I'm now using this as a "before shot" of my bedside table.
This is the "new look" for my bedside table now. I purchased Penny's (Lavender Hill Studio) mosaic directions online and this is my first project. This was so much fun! If you think you'd like to try to mosaic something, Penny's directions are great and very easy to follow. I had an old matelasse that I cut to make the skirt. It's simply velcroed around the edge of the table for easy removal when it needs washing. I tied a black ribbon around the top edge and added one to the lamp as well because I keep reading that every room needs a touch of black. Large black buttons were also sewn down the front where the fabric overlaps. Click on the photos for a closer view.

I have a question to ask all my faithful readers, " Should I paint the lamp base antique white or black?" If you think I shouldn't paint it at all, you can also vote.

There is a "Toile Party" going on at the Pretty Organized Palace Blog, so go check it out!

Clover Hill Folk Art Painting

New listing for my eBay auctions:

"Clover Hill"

Click on photos for a closer view.

Avary and her mother, Ruth, have worked hard all morning making a surprize, giant cupcake for their friend and neighbor Miss Hester. Everyday after school Avary stops in to visit with Hester who fell and broke her hip while pruning her climbing rose bushes that grow up the side of her stone cottage. Avary has been doing chores and helping in the garden until her friend heals and asked her mother to help her with a surprize for their ailing neighbor. Getting up at the crack of dawn the mother and daughter team made the most delicious giant cupcake and frosted it with fluffy pink butter cream frosting. Ruth sent her daughter up Clover Hill to the little cottage at the top of the lane with her sweet treat in hand.

Soon I will share with you another project that I'm doing for our bedroom. It's been fun and I can't wait to show you.

I was honored to find out that I had won second place in the Artist's Choice Awards on eBay for the "Folk" category.

Now, I've got to get back to the mess, hmmmmmmmmmm, I mean project I'm working on.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcake Painting

Just a quick post to let you know that I listed this 8" x 10" painting on ebay last night. The background color was very hard to photograph, but the top picture is more true to the original.

A white chocolate chip cupcake is piled high with piped green "Irish Cream" frosting and topped with miniature chocolate chips. Displayed on a black decorative cake plate and covered with a glass cloche, this cupcake will look great displayed for St. Patrick's Day or year round. The black lettering at the top of the picture is dripping with green Irish cream icing and a green and white checked ribbon is tied around the knob on the glass cloche.

My mother's side of the family is Irish and I've yet to find a four leaf clover. How about you? Do you have the luck of the Irish?

Custom Painting

A while back I did a custom painting for a sweet customer, Laura, who wanted me to do a painting of the place where they were married as a gift for her husband. You can view that post here. This year she asked me to do a painting for her sister, Marian, and brother in law, Doug. They had recently purchased a new home and she wanted me paint a picture of them in front of the barn on their property. Doug had given Marian a dragon weathervane as a gift, so I added that to the top of the barn. She has given them their gift, so I thought I would now share it with you.

Marian & Doug's Barn:

Marian and Doug I wish you a life time of wonderful memories at your new place and with the new little one that's on the way! What a great place to raise children.

Last night I listed the painting below at the starting price of $1.00. Yes, I said $1.00! So, if you've never been able to bid on one of my originals because of the price, now is the time to try. The shipping for this painting is $32.95 (includes insurance and delivery confirmation) because it's an oversized package. They charge more for size than weight. This painting is 18 inches by 24 inches.

"Traveler's Ease at Turtle Cove"

If you're looking for that perfect place to rest your weary head, you should venture to Traveler's Ease Inn on Turtle Island. Owners, Leota Mae and Harley Thompson, will have a warm and cozy feather bed fluffed and waiting. They will greet you with a pot of herbal tea and cranberry muffins with orange frosting. Customers quickly become friends with the Thompson family and return for years to come.