Crocheted Fish Hat

I've been out of town for a couple days so I haven't had time to finish up my table and chair from the previous post.  Hopefully I'll get those finished soon.  But, in the meantime, I keep forgetting to share this cute hat that I crocheted for a sweet little boy that has a birthday coming up.  If you'd like to try this for yourself you can order the Fish Hat PDF instructions on Etsy.

Mary offers a wide variety of adorable crochet patterns at her shop Angels Chest.

I just ordered her new Bee Hat and can't wait to get started!

Table and Chair Makeover Beginning Stages

I've finally started my furniture makeover that I had planned for January.  There's nothing like waiting until the end of the month to do a monthly project.  If I hadn't mentioned in my blog that I was going to paint these two pieces, it would still be on my list of things to do.   Once I start a project though, I finish it.

I started by taking the seat off the chair and giving it a good sanding.   The table I did not sand because I'm doing a test to see how well my primer adheres without sanding first.  I used Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 Primer.  It is supposed to work on glossy surfaces without sanding.  An end table doesn't get as much abuse as a chair plus with all the detail it would not have been much fun to sand.  I'm not lazy; this is a test.  Just keep that in mind.  I've used a deglosser before and don't like using products that require ventilation in the middle of winter.

The above photo shows the pieces with one coat of primer.  Today I decided to add a second coat of primer and one coat of paint and will share that with you soon.  

Cherry Chocolate Cake Painting

I love working on these little 4" x 4" paintings.  When I'm finished, I tie it up in a coordinating bow and "wah lah" it's ready to list on Ebay.  

"Cherry Chocolate Cake"

Three bright red cherries top this milk chocolate layer cake frosted with pink cherry frosting.  This sweet treat is displayed under a glass dome on a beautiful aqua cake plate.  

Painted on a black background with black edges and tied off with a brown and pint dotted bow, this painting would be a delightful reminder in your kitchen to bake up something for your loving family!  

 Or....you could just show it to them and say, "Dream on", if you don't like to bake, or you're on a diet, or the kids have tracked mud all over your freshly mopped floor, or.....fill in the blank.

Remember this is a great calorie free way to enjoy your cake and not eat it. 

Cupcake Painting Makeover

I listed this painting before Christmas on Ebay.  I kept rushing this painting as I mentioned in a previous post.  You'd think I'd learn my lesson.  But against my better judgement, I went ahead and listed it.   There is way too much empty space in this painting and I knew the vision I had in my mind, but I just wasn't taking the time to finish it that way.  The Christmas rush was on and now I still own this painting.

This is how it looks today:

What do you think?  Am I truly done?

"Baked Fresh Daily" 

is now up for auction on Ebay.

Makeover Projects For January

I found this table over a year ago at my neighbor's garage sale and posted about it here.  

I had big plans for this table and it still looks like this.

A good friend gave me this chair a while back and I put it in the basement until I had time to work on it.  This Christmas we needed some extra seating so we brought this up and put it at the dining table.  Believe it or not, before I show you the next photo, this chair is extremely sturdy.  It held up all through Christmas dinner.  

Looks like we definitely need to cut a new seat before I recover it.  What do you think?

Now take a closer look at that tag.  Just in case you can't read the writing, it says Montgomery Ward, Kansas City, MO.  

Probably not what some people would consider quality furniture, but Montgomery Ward sure brings back childhood memories.

I will be painting and sharing the process soon.

Sick Days and Planning Projects

I've been adding projects to my "To Do List" on my ipad since I'm actually too sick to do any of the projects.  At the rate that I'm getting over this cold, I could end up with a very long list of things to do. 

I'll be back soon, hopefully.  As of right now I can't download any photos on my blog because the download box doesn't even come up.  Is this happening to anyone else?

Happy New Year!

Looking back over the year, here are a few paintings that I completed in 2012:

(The second one is a collage of prints celebrating my favorite color, red).

In July we lost our long time companion of 12 years, Annie:

Overwhelmed with sadness, God blessed us with Grandma's dog, Lady, a few months before we lost Annie to cancer.

Lady's name is truly what it implies.  She is part Golden Retriever and part Collie, which makes her a Gollie.  Gollie's are so sweet and gentle and she makes very strange noises, which is common for this breed.  She has been quite the blessing!

This year we did some remodeling in the kitchen:

Painting these knotty pine cabinets, changing out the hardware, and addinging new light fixtures made a huge difference.

Today I will be taking it easy and watching a little of this before getting back to the drawing table:

If you've never seen this British series, it's available on Netflix.  I love it because it's very quirky.

I will also be putting up my feet in my old, fluffy pink slippers....

and having some of this...

Since everyone in blogland seems to be picking a word for 2013, I've decided that mine will be "Dream". 

Keep your dreams alive in 2013 and if you don't have any it's time to start.  Your God given talents are a good place to start.

Have a blessed and wonderful New Year!

A Folk Art Christmas

For this Christmas season of joy and celebration, I'm joining Vee's December Notecard Party. 

"Candy Cane Cove"

"Christmas at Grandma's and Grandpa's"

( Over the River and Through the Woods)

"Christmas in Fox Creek Village"

"Christmas in Holly Ridge"

"Christmas Nativity"

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger

and my prayer for compassion for all the families who suffered such a terrible loss in Newton, CT.  Our prayers continue and will continue to be with you.

 

Dreaming of a Beautiful White Snowy Christmas

I'm down with a cold and have been busy trying to get some Christmas shopping done.  Every three hours I've been taking Zicam trying to stop this cold from progessing and it seems to be helping.  Since my head isn't too clear I thought I'd share a few photos and get back to a little nap.

This is Christmas 2010 and I'm still dreaming of a white Christmas.  Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow night.  I'll be crossing my fingers.

I took this photo the other day and added some snow on Picmonkey.  Look the grass is still green.

Tomorrow I have to be feeling better so that I can work on some fudge and cookies.

Stay safe and healthy because Christmas is just around the corner!

My Last Cupcake Painting of the Year

Welcome and please come inside.  I want to share my final cupcake painting of the year with you.

"Baked Fresh Daily"

This painting is listed on eBay.

Beautifully displayed on a three tiered stand are cupcakes and candies baked fresh daily. Yummy chocolate cupcakes with blue frosting, truffles, petit fours, and chewy caramel mini cupcakes are a treat for the eyes as well as the tummy.

This week I have been trying hard to get another painting listed on eBay and also had started another folk art scene. I felt like I was just rushing things.  Each day I would look at this cupcake painting and it didn't look completed to me.  Then all of a sudden it clicked and I added the candies tucked in between each cupcake.  I've got to learn to stop rushing just in order to get something up and listed to sell. 

I've also been struggling with the folk art painting that I started.  I've been wanting to paint this one on canvas for a very long time.  I don't usually repeat a painting, but when I first painted this scene I did it on a large metal tray that I display each Christmas.  Since it is round, I couldn't crop it for a print. 

It may be a Christmas scene, but I've decided to wait until after the holidays to continue working on it.  It needs time and I don't want to rush and mess it up.  It's one of my favorite all time scenes that I designed for my instruction book "A Village Christmas" that was published several years ago and is now out of print.

"Home for the Holidays"

The old woody, the little yorkie in the car, and this beautiful old Victorian house were so much fun to paint and I hope it will be just as much fun the second time around.

So, I'm taking my time with this one and will let you know when it's finished.  I want to learn to enjoy painting again and not rush things before they are truly finished...

and I want to take time to enjoy Christmas with my family, friends, and blogging buddies! 

Slow down....

Enjoy Christmas, celebrate Christ's Birthday and wish everyone you meet a very "Merry Christmas!"

Christmas in the Kitchen

Christmas in the kitchen is bright reds and touches of green.  I love traditional red and green for Christmas. This little setting is on the wall above my stove and this box/shelf holds all my spices.

A simple addition of red balls and some evergreen to a large scale, go great with my old dishes and red Folgers Coffee can on the shelf.  The hook scale on the side of the cabinet is where I usually hang my wet tea towel.  I always prop my recipes behind this old rolling pin while I bake. 

A Christmas flour sack kitchen towel hangs on the handle of my oven and is available at Sweet Magnolia's Farm on Etsy.

   How cute is that!  Get one for someone on your Christmas list and get one for yourself!  She has lots of different ones to choose from.

This is another one of my older Christmas paintings titled

"Chuck Goes Skating" 

(by the way, Chuck is the little black cat)

I'm linking this post to: