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My Journey As A Creative Designer - Woodworking and Beyond

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7M views 13K replies 477 participants last post by  teaklight12 
#1 ·
Beginning this Blog

I recently was referred to this site by Steve Good, who has a wonderful, comprehensive scroll saw forum and blog page. Although I have been doing woodworking for almost fifteen years, I have finally reached a point in my life where I am able to make it the main focus of my activities. Since my life revolves around my woodworking and business, I believe that this blog will reflect that very clearly, although it will also be somewhat personal. But I think that woodworking is very personal anyway.

It has been a long journey to get to this point. There have been many good times and some not-so-good ones, but I appreciate every single step because I think that if even one thing was different, I would not be where I am today or who I am inside. It isn't only the positive events in our lives that make us what we are. Many times it is the negative things that mold and shape us and teach us to look at things in a certain way. I try to remember that when things are tough and move ahead.

I have learned that there is only one thing we can be certain of in life: change. Whether things are good or bad, we need to hold on and appreciate the moment, as we can be certain that things will be different before long. This helps us to not only appreciate the good days and things we have now, but also hang on when things are not so good, as we know that they will be different soon. I like this philosophy.

I liked reading about the new contest offered by this site in the newsletter. Fluidity. It is a perfect theme for projects because our existence itself is fluid. I am anxious to see what interpretations are going to be, as I am sure everyone else is. It will be an adventure for all of us for sure.

So why am I starting this blog? The other day I received a call from a customer who had a question for me. He kept saying how surprised he was that I answered my own phone. I have worked as a Contributing Editor for Creative Woodworks and Crafts Magazine for the past 13+ years and I guess in the scroll saw community, many people have heard of me. It seemed so odd to me that he would think I would have a secretary or staff. We kind of laughed about it, but it really got me thinking about his interpretation of my life. We all tend to form opinions of others from very limited information. We see the outside of a person as they are presented to us and many times are very quick to categorize that person in our minds. I do it myself.

But in my years of talking with and dealing with many people from many different places, I have come to realize that people are like icebergs. We only see the tip of them and below the surface is a vast, complex side of them that is the basis of their actions and thinking.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has traveled a journey. No two people have traveled identical paths. Thus, we are all unique in our thoughts, actions and creative processes. I enjoy hearing others stories. I think that listening to others and hearing their experiences helps us to understand each other. With that understanding, we learn.

I have used the phrase "Knowledge Is Power" in my signature since I have been on the web. Once someone told me that they thought it was quite arrogant of me to say that. He thought that I was implying that I knew more than anyone else and he found that offensive. I told him he couldn't be more wrong. My interpretation of the phrase is that our QUEST for knowledge EMPOWERS us to make better decisions about things in our lives. We are never finished learning. I learn every single day from my friends, colleagues, fellow woodworkers and students. We never know when we will learn something new. Sometimes you can learn from even a seemingly insignificant event. I feel the key is that we need to be open to learning.

Everyone has a story.

So I will close today with those thoughts. I don't know how often I will post here, but I hope to make it a habit. I don't know if anyone will even read this, but somehow it doesn't matter. Writing is a key in self-awareness. By writing things down we categorize our actions and it helps (me anyway) to keep my life organized. Organization leads to peace as far as I am concerned.

I am quite overwhelmed with the scope of the site here. I am still getting my footings and lurking around. I think for the first several days or maybe even weeks I will be more of a passive observer while I find my comfortable position among the others here. I want to upload the new things I am working on here. Like everyone else, I am anxious to see the response they get. I love seeing others projects and could spend my days just looking.

Although it is quite intimidating, the forum looks like it is full of friendly, knowledgeable and wonderfully creative people.

I think I am going to like it here.
 
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#12,899 ·
Finished the Pumpkin and Started Something New

It is already past my 'normal blog time' this morning, so I will get right down to business. I am figuring out that sometimes we need to sacrifice chit-chat for quality content. While I like to sit and muse about the day, my plans and life in general with you all, I am finding that sometimes it is best if I just get to what I want to do and talk about it a little less. The photos speak for themselves.

My routine has changed somewhat lately and I have been trying to hit the gym prior to writing here. I don't mention the gym or stuff like that often, as it really isn't necessary. However, with having a job that consists of so much sitting, I really think it is an important part of my day. It was getting cumbersome to go after blogging, as I wouldn't return home until noon or later. Then I would need to eat and before I knew it, most of the day was gone. Sometimes it is best to light a fire under myself and get out early and get back and carry on with my day. I think I am liking that way of doing things better. I am accomplishing more, anyway.

So where were we . . .

Yesterday I was working on the wonderful "Sittin' In the Patch" pumpkin pattern from the lovely and talented Kim Christmas. I had shown how I used the DecoArt Chalkboard Paint for Glass for the base, and then the amazing Metallic Lustre Acrylic Wax (also from DecoArt) for the base. I then had to undercoat the pumpkins and moon and add the colors on top of them.

Creative arts Helmet Serveware Headgear Pottery


It was looking pretty cool. :)

I then went ahead and started shading and highlighting.

Pumpkin Calabaza Tableware Cucurbita Winter squash


One thing about Kim's designs is that she has the most wonderful palette of colors she works from. I am always quite drawn to them and seldom veer off to my own colors (which I often do with other patterns.)

I do admit that I decided to add some beautiful DecoArt Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter paint on the moon and the pumpkins to give them a pretty shimmer. I finished the project off with a couple coats of spray gloss and the final pumpkin looks amazing!

Cucurbita Plant Pumpkin Winter squash Calabaza


Here is a close up of the colors:

Plant Pumpkin Cucurbita Calabaza Winter squash


See how subtle the Glamour Dust is? It looks simply MAGICAL!

Plant Winter squash Gourd Wood Terrestrial plant


Kim has this pattern available on her site for those who are interested. It is available as a paper pattern or a PDF one so you can order it and start right away. I decided not to put the faces on my pumpkins because I wanted to be able to keep the piece out through the month of November. It was really a quick and easy project and lots of fun.

When I finished up the pumpkin, it was only around 10pm and I wasn't really tired yet. My shipment of Pastelmat paper by Clairefontaine had arrived from England earlier in the day and I was dying to try it out. As I mentioned before, I follow Jason Morgan (an amazing wildlife artist and teacher) on Pateron and I subscribe to his page- Jason Morgan Wildlife Artist. For those of you who don't know - Pateron is a subscription based forum for artists to acquire monthly support in exchange for exclusive lessons, videos, reference photos, etc. I found Jason through Lisa Clough, who is another artist I pledge to and an excellent teacher as well. The small monthly pledges are well worth the knowledge that I have gained from both of them. I invite you to check them out. :)

In any case, a couple of weeks ago, I was watching Jason's video on creating using pastel pencils and crayons. He had mentioned that by trying a certain type of paper, it changed his entire idea regarding pastels. Apparently, the paper was the key to making the pastels manageable and work for him and he was more than thrilled with it.

The paper he used was "Pastelmat" by Clairefontaine. I looked it up on Amazon and ordered a pad to try.

Brown Book Rectangle Publication Font


For once, I already had the pastel crayons and pencils he was using so I was excited about giving this new media a try.

I took some photos of my own cats, and chose this lovely photo of Pancakes to use for my reference:

Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Window


I decided to use the charcoal coloured paper for the drawing. I sketched out the main lines for the fur direction . . .

Brown Rectangle Wood Art Flooring


I used the reference photo from my computer and was able to create a 'decent' eye:

Cat Wood Iris Carnivore Felidae


I was encouraged and pushed on. At one point I was thinking that I had chosen "too big" a desk for my studio, but as I worked on this, I was happy it is a large as it is. I filled it up pretty quickly with the pencils and crayons.

Computer Personal computer Computer keyboard Computer monitor Table


In about two hours, here is where I am at with the drawing. (Remember - this is mostly the under layers showing. There is still a LOT of work to go on it!) The pastel pencils I am using are Stablilo CarbOthello pastel colors.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Iris Paint


I only had the set of 36 pencils, which I found rather restricting. I especially didn't like that there was only one grey - which is very light. Because of that, I had trouble getting the proper shade on the eyes and so forth that needed to be done in detail. I may have to invest in the set of 60 pencils after all. :(

Felidae Cat Carnivore Whiskers Small to medium-sized cats


The crayons came in a set of 48. They are also by Stabilo I think and they are called "Conte a Paris". I think that is all the colors they had for them. It was helpful for the larger areas to have more shades to choose from:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Fawn Small to medium-sized cats


You can see from the set that there are a couple of shades of grey and more browns as well:

Cosmetics Office supplies Rectangle Eye shadow Paint


But overall, I am happy with it so far. Seeing it side by side makes me realize just what I have to work on. Also, I think leaving it overnight helped as well:

Hair Nose Cat Eye Felidae


So that is it for today. Over the weekend, I have orders to cut and I plan on doing more work on this and also creating some new scroll saw patterns. Sometimes I feel like I am juggling lots of things at once. I wouldn't have it any other way.

It is supposed to storm here in our area this weekend, making it a perfect weekend to stay inside and create. I hope you all have a great weekend as well. There is always something fun to do! :)

Happy Friday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,900 ·
Finished the Pumpkin and Started Something New

It is already past my 'normal blog time' this morning, so I will get right down to business. I am figuring out that sometimes we need to sacrifice chit-chat for quality content. While I like to sit and muse about the day, my plans and life in general with you all, I am finding that sometimes it is best if I just get to what I want to do and talk about it a little less. The photos speak for themselves.

My routine has changed somewhat lately and I have been trying to hit the gym prior to writing here. I don't mention the gym or stuff like that often, as it really isn't necessary. However, with having a job that consists of so much sitting, I really think it is an important part of my day. It was getting cumbersome to go after blogging, as I wouldn't return home until noon or later. Then I would need to eat and before I knew it, most of the day was gone. Sometimes it is best to light a fire under myself and get out early and get back and carry on with my day. I think I am liking that way of doing things better. I am accomplishing more, anyway.

So where were we . . .

Yesterday I was working on the wonderful "Sittin' In the Patch" pumpkin pattern from the lovely and talented Kim Christmas. I had shown how I used the DecoArt Chalkboard Paint for Glass for the base, and then the amazing Metallic Lustre Acrylic Wax (also from DecoArt) for the base. I then had to undercoat the pumpkins and moon and add the colors on top of them.

Creative arts Helmet Serveware Headgear Pottery


It was looking pretty cool. :)

I then went ahead and started shading and highlighting.

Pumpkin Calabaza Tableware Cucurbita Winter squash


One thing about Kim's designs is that she has the most wonderful palette of colors she works from. I am always quite drawn to them and seldom veer off to my own colors (which I often do with other patterns.)

I do admit that I decided to add some beautiful DecoArt Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter paint on the moon and the pumpkins to give them a pretty shimmer. I finished the project off with a couple coats of spray gloss and the final pumpkin looks amazing!

Cucurbita Plant Pumpkin Winter squash Calabaza


Here is a close up of the colors:

Plant Pumpkin Cucurbita Calabaza Winter squash


See how subtle the Glamour Dust is? It looks simply MAGICAL!

Plant Winter squash Gourd Wood Terrestrial plant


Kim has this pattern available on her site for those who are interested. It is available as a paper pattern or a PDF one so you can order it and start right away. I decided not to put the faces on my pumpkins because I wanted to be able to keep the piece out through the month of November. It was really a quick and easy project and lots of fun.

When I finished up the pumpkin, it was only around 10pm and I wasn't really tired yet. My shipment of Pastelmat paper by Clairefontaine had arrived from England earlier in the day and I was dying to try it out. As I mentioned before, I follow Jason Morgan (an amazing wildlife artist and teacher) on Pateron and I subscribe to his page- Jason Morgan Wildlife Artist. For those of you who don't know - Pateron is a subscription based forum for artists to acquire monthly support in exchange for exclusive lessons, videos, reference photos, etc. I found Jason through Lisa Clough, who is another artist I pledge to and an excellent teacher as well. The small monthly pledges are well worth the knowledge that I have gained from both of them. I invite you to check them out. :)

In any case, a couple of weeks ago, I was watching Jason's video on creating using pastel pencils and crayons. He had mentioned that by trying a certain type of paper, it changed his entire idea regarding pastels. Apparently, the paper was the key to making the pastels manageable and work for him and he was more than thrilled with it.

The paper he used was "Pastelmat" by Clairefontaine. I looked it up on Amazon and ordered a pad to try.

Brown Book Rectangle Publication Font


For once, I already had the pastel crayons and pencils he was using so I was excited about giving this new media a try.

I took some photos of my own cats, and chose this lovely photo of Pancakes to use for my reference:

Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Window


I decided to use the charcoal coloured paper for the drawing. I sketched out the main lines for the fur direction . . .

Brown Rectangle Wood Art Flooring


I used the reference photo from my computer and was able to create a 'decent' eye:

Cat Wood Iris Carnivore Felidae


I was encouraged and pushed on. At one point I was thinking that I had chosen "too big" a desk for my studio, but as I worked on this, I was happy it is a large as it is. I filled it up pretty quickly with the pencils and crayons.

Computer Personal computer Computer keyboard Computer monitor Table


In about two hours, here is where I am at with the drawing. (Remember - this is mostly the under layers showing. There is still a LOT of work to go on it!) The pastel pencils I am using are Stablilo CarbOthello pastel colors.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Iris Paint


I only had the set of 36 pencils, which I found rather restricting. I especially didn't like that there was only one grey - which is very light. Because of that, I had trouble getting the proper shade on the eyes and so forth that needed to be done in detail. I may have to invest in the set of 60 pencils after all. :(

Felidae Cat Carnivore Whiskers Small to medium-sized cats


The crayons came in a set of 48. They are also by Stabilo I think and they are called "Conte a Paris". I think that is all the colors they had for them. It was helpful for the larger areas to have more shades to choose from:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Fawn Small to medium-sized cats


You can see from the set that there are a couple of shades of grey and more browns as well:

Cosmetics Office supplies Rectangle Eye shadow Paint


But overall, I am happy with it so far. Seeing it side by side makes me realize just what I have to work on. Also, I think leaving it overnight helped as well:

Hair Nose Cat Eye Felidae


So that is it for today. Over the weekend, I have orders to cut and I plan on doing more work on this and also creating some new scroll saw patterns. Sometimes I feel like I am juggling lots of things at once. I wouldn't have it any other way.

It is supposed to storm here in our area this weekend, making it a perfect weekend to stay inside and create. I hope you all have a great weekend as well. There is always something fun to do! :)

Happy Friday to you all!
Sheila,

Your many talents simply overwhelm me! When your picture is done, we will be asking: "Which one is the photograph?"

L/W
 

Attachments

#12,904 ·
A Lesson from "Pancakes"

When last I left you on Friday, I had began a new artistic adventure. For my first time ever, I was using a new medium (New to me, that is!) in drawing with pastel pencils and blocks. I had seen a video from the very talented wildlife artist, Jason Morgan, in which he shared his 'discovery' of the joys of using "Pastelmat" pastel paper by Clairfontaine to draw with. He mentioned that it changed his entire perspective on pastel drawing. I was intrigued.

I just so happened to have a set of the pastels that Jason used (albeit a small set of 36 colors) and I thought I would give it a go. I love Jason's "you can do it" teaching style and his step-by-step videos are a wonderful way to see his artwork come to live real time. I ordered the paper from Amazon and had to wait for it to arrive from England. Without the paper, the technique just would work.

It came on Thursday and that evening I began my journey. I decided to draw my own cat "Pancakes". I took some of my own reference photos and chose one with a lot of detail. You can see the progress that I made that first evening in the previous blog entry. But long story short, I got this far:

Hair Nose Cat Eye Felidae


So far, it was fun and not too bad.

I was pretty busy on Friday with other things, and didn't get back to it until Saturday evening. I really got 'lost' in my work and finished up about 3am. Here is what I had done:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


I was so excited, I posted on all of my Facebook pages and groups that night. I was truly proud of what I did and I was thrilled at the positive responses everyone posted. I found a new medium that was fun and fast (well - relatively fast - about 5 hours went into this drawing at this point). I was happy.

But when I awoke the next morning, I looked again at my drawing and began to see some things that needed fixing. I always hear how good it is to walk away from something and then return later. We always seem to see things a bit differently. This was definitely the case with this drawing. While people still liked the finished drawing, I started to really pick it apart and see a few things 'wrong' with it. I spent the next couple of hours correcting it and after that time, I now feel much, much better about it. Here is the "real" finished drawing:

Cat Carnivore Felidae Fawn Whiskers


While many of you may not initially see the difference, I am sure my fellow artists and teachers certainly will understand. The differences are very subtle - sometimes moving a line or shade only a fraction of an inch - but they do a great deal to make the difference between something that is nice, and something that is just a bit "off".

When putting the pictures side-by-side, they look quite similar. But I will proceed to show you the things that bothered me and that I corrected in hopes that you will understand where I am coming from and also learn to do this with your own work.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


The first thing that bothered me was the bridge of his nose. In the upper drawing it looked flat. I had also lost the subtle striping of Pancake's markings on it. I added some shades and highlights to correct this. I also lessened the darker area to the side of the nose, as it was far too dark.

Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats


The next thing was the marking over his eye. It nearly went in a straight line and was far too light on the highlight. It stuck out like a sore thumb to me in the initial drawing and needed to be tampered down with some warmer coloring and re-shaped. That looked more like Pancakes' real markings.

Head Eye Cat Felidae Carnivore


Next up was his cheek. Again - the color was flat and I lost the stripes . The dark area under the eyes was too drastic and pronounced, and again lost the subtle shading of his real fur. I added several layers of color in to make it look more rounded and natural.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


Next was his nose. The first attempt had a definite division between his nose and the bridge of his nose. As I looked at him sitting next to me, I noticed that was not the case at all. The fleshy color rather blended in with a very soft transition. I also adjusted the shape of his nose to better replicate his real face. The nostril was more rounded and pink and it made his nose appear a little more bulbous (which is how he looks). The bottom photo is much better:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Organism


Finally - I wasn't happy with the 'grainy' look of the drawing overall. The GOOD thing about the Pastelmat paper is that it is slightly textured to hold the chalky pastel colors and allow you to work several layers without losing "tooth". However, the so-called 'finished' first attempt at the drawing still looked quite grainy and did not have the smooth blends that we associate with pastels. Perhaps this was exaggerated because I used such a dark colored paper, but I didn't like it.

Head Eye Cat Felidae Carnivore


You can see what I am talking about more here:

Eyebrow Textile Eyelash Organism Liver


I rectified this by adding more layers of color and blending them more with the blending stumps and really working the under-layers into the paper. The top layers then looked quite a bit smoother. I am pretty pleased with the result.

So here is the "real final" picture:

Cat Carnivore Felidae Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


For a first attempt at this medium, I am really pleased. I certainly will be doing more work in these pastels and look forward to sharing the result and any issues I have with you all.

I suppose that the moral of this post is that we need to try to take a step back from our work and look at it objectively. Most of the time, putting things away for a day or so, or even over night can help us do that. If we come back to it the next day and look at it and see something 'off', we need to sit down and try to really look at things and figure out what they may be. It is usually some subtle things that we didn't notice after staring at the piece for hours while we were creating it. I find that even posting it on the computer screen allows me to see things better and from a different perspective. It is all part of the learning process.

I want to thank all the teachers that take time to help us learn and expand our abilities. I firmly believe that ANYONE can do anything they wish, if given the proper tools, instructions and if they have the will to learn. We have to believe in ourselves in order to succeed. With encouragement and support from our peers and these wonderful teachers, it is truly possible.

I wish you all a wonderful Monday!
 

Attachments

#12,905 ·
A Lesson from "Pancakes"

When last I left you on Friday, I had began a new artistic adventure. For my first time ever, I was using a new medium (New to me, that is!) in drawing with pastel pencils and blocks. I had seen a video from the very talented wildlife artist, Jason Morgan, in which he shared his 'discovery' of the joys of using "Pastelmat" pastel paper by Clairfontaine to draw with. He mentioned that it changed his entire perspective on pastel drawing. I was intrigued.

I just so happened to have a set of the pastels that Jason used (albeit a small set of 36 colors) and I thought I would give it a go. I love Jason's "you can do it" teaching style and his step-by-step videos are a wonderful way to see his artwork come to live real time. I ordered the paper from Amazon and had to wait for it to arrive from England. Without the paper, the technique just would work.

It came on Thursday and that evening I began my journey. I decided to draw my own cat "Pancakes". I took some of my own reference photos and chose one with a lot of detail. You can see the progress that I made that first evening in the previous blog entry. But long story short, I got this far:

Hair Nose Cat Eye Felidae


So far, it was fun and not too bad.

I was pretty busy on Friday with other things, and didn't get back to it until Saturday evening. I really got 'lost' in my work and finished up about 3am. Here is what I had done:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


I was so excited, I posted on all of my Facebook pages and groups that night. I was truly proud of what I did and I was thrilled at the positive responses everyone posted. I found a new medium that was fun and fast (well - relatively fast - about 5 hours went into this drawing at this point). I was happy.

But when I awoke the next morning, I looked again at my drawing and began to see some things that needed fixing. I always hear how good it is to walk away from something and then return later. We always seem to see things a bit differently. This was definitely the case with this drawing. While people still liked the finished drawing, I started to really pick it apart and see a few things 'wrong' with it. I spent the next couple of hours correcting it and after that time, I now feel much, much better about it. Here is the "real" finished drawing:

Cat Carnivore Felidae Fawn Whiskers


While many of you may not initially see the difference, I am sure my fellow artists and teachers certainly will understand. The differences are very subtle - sometimes moving a line or shade only a fraction of an inch - but they do a great deal to make the difference between something that is nice, and something that is just a bit "off".

When putting the pictures side-by-side, they look quite similar. But I will proceed to show you the things that bothered me and that I corrected in hopes that you will understand where I am coming from and also learn to do this with your own work.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


The first thing that bothered me was the bridge of his nose. In the upper drawing it looked flat. I had also lost the subtle striping of Pancake's markings on it. I added some shades and highlights to correct this. I also lessened the darker area to the side of the nose, as it was far too dark.

Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats


The next thing was the marking over his eye. It nearly went in a straight line and was far too light on the highlight. It stuck out like a sore thumb to me in the initial drawing and needed to be tampered down with some warmer coloring and re-shaped. That looked more like Pancakes' real markings.

Head Eye Cat Felidae Carnivore


Next up was his cheek. Again - the color was flat and I lost the stripes . The dark area under the eyes was too drastic and pronounced, and again lost the subtle shading of his real fur. I added several layers of color in to make it look more rounded and natural.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


Next was his nose. The first attempt had a definite division between his nose and the bridge of his nose. As I looked at him sitting next to me, I noticed that was not the case at all. The fleshy color rather blended in with a very soft transition. I also adjusted the shape of his nose to better replicate his real face. The nostril was more rounded and pink and it made his nose appear a little more bulbous (which is how he looks). The bottom photo is much better:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Organism


Finally - I wasn't happy with the 'grainy' look of the drawing overall. The GOOD thing about the Pastelmat paper is that it is slightly textured to hold the chalky pastel colors and allow you to work several layers without losing "tooth". However, the so-called 'finished' first attempt at the drawing still looked quite grainy and did not have the smooth blends that we associate with pastels. Perhaps this was exaggerated because I used such a dark colored paper, but I didn't like it.

Head Eye Cat Felidae Carnivore


You can see what I am talking about more here:

Eyebrow Textile Eyelash Organism Liver


I rectified this by adding more layers of color and blending them more with the blending stumps and really working the under-layers into the paper. The top layers then looked quite a bit smoother. I am pretty pleased with the result.

So here is the "real final" picture:

Cat Carnivore Felidae Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


For a first attempt at this medium, I am really pleased. I certainly will be doing more work in these pastels and look forward to sharing the result and any issues I have with you all.

I suppose that the moral of this post is that we need to try to take a step back from our work and look at it objectively. Most of the time, putting things away for a day or so, or even over night can help us do that. If we come back to it the next day and look at it and see something 'off', we need to sit down and try to really look at things and figure out what they may be. It is usually some subtle things that we didn't notice after staring at the piece for hours while we were creating it. I find that even posting it on the computer screen allows me to see things better and from a different perspective. It is all part of the learning process.

I want to thank all the teachers that take time to help us learn and expand our abilities. I firmly believe that ANYONE can do anything they wish, if given the proper tools, instructions and if they have the will to learn. We have to believe in ourselves in order to succeed. With encouragement and support from our peers and these wonderful teachers, it is truly possible.

I wish you all a wonderful Monday!
Handsome subject, beautifully executed. Thank you for sharing your own processes to improve your work.

Herb
 

Attachments

#12,916 ·
Multi-Tasking

It has been quite busy, as usual here for me these days. I was truly grateful and overwhelmed by everyone's response to my drawing of Pancakes. It truly makes me feel that I am on the right track with things and I am doing something right. Again - I have to give a huge 'thank you' to teachers who present online classes for us to learn and expand our artistic horizons. It his world of negativity and sadness, it does wonders to focus on something as simple as creating as an 'escape'. I am often asked how I can remain so happy all the time. Like everyone, I have my issues, but for the most part I try to focus on things that are positive and uplifting, and I try to uplift others as well through my art. It is hard to stay sad when you see the happiness you are able to bring to others. Making even a small, positive difference in others' lives really makes a difference in my own. Again - thank you.

So what do I have planned for today?

Lots!

As I look on my desk at all the things I want to tackle today, I know I will be having quite a bit of fun. It is filled with new projects, trying new products and general creating for patterns and classes.

Table Tableware Plastic bottle Bottle Wood


I don't know where to begin first! (What a wonderful problem to have!)

I'll start with the pumpkin that I am creating for an online class for Toletown. I am privileged to be a member of their design team, and I have projects with videos up for the months of November and December. I haven't done videos in quite a while because with us moving and all, I have had to get my footing in my new studio and environment and figure out how I was going to do things. My previous videos were done in our small apartment kitchen and the lighting and so forth were not really what I would call "optimal". I had to hang the tripod off of the microwave behind me to hold the camera and while it worked, it certainly didn't give the best result.

Now I have a big, bright place to create in. Keith built a stand for my camera that should allow a great 'bird's eye' view of what I am doing. I can't wait to try it out. Hopefully this will mean more videos in the future. I like doing them, but since I have so much time in between them there is a learning curve every time I go back and do another. I hope to build up the library on my site and YouTube Channel so there is more information on woodworking, painting and yes - even embroidery. I hope you stick with me or check back to see how I am doing for that.

In any case, I liked the way the glass pumpkin came out that i did using Kim Christmas' pattern that I decided I wanted to make one for my own class:

Cucurbita Plant Pumpkin Winter squash Calabaza


Of course I won't be doing the same design, but I have some ideas of my own that will use this glass pumpkin that I picked up for under $7 at our Bulk Barn and use some cool DecoArt products to create a cool, unusual piece:

Liquid Product Fluid Paint Table


I can promise it will be unlike any pumpkins you have ever seen! :) (Keith tilted his head to the side when I told him what I had planned and said "Huh?") I suppose that you are either going to like it or not. That is what creating original art is all about, right?

My next project of the day is to finish off this word art pattern for my scrolling followers. I suppose there isn't really a mystery involved with this project, but I want to offer a couple of versions of it so that if you want to dabble in painting, you can give it a try. I think you will like the result for that project as well, and I hope it encourages some woodworkers to try their hand at painting! ;)

Wood Gesture Art Font Carmine


And finally - I want to try out the Krylon Gallery Series Fine Art fixatif for protecting my pastel picture of Pancakes.

Liquid Drinkware Bottle Fluid Water bottle


This isn't the 'regular' fixativ from Krylon - I got it from an art store and it cost about twice as much. (La-de-DA!) But as you see on the can, it is supposed to protect artwork without dulling or killing the highlights and it lists pastels specifically on the label. I tried another fixativ when I was drawing Pancakes to 'set' his eyes, and it did kill many of the highlights. I wasn't too concerned, as I still had a while to go with the drawing and I just added them back in, but now that it is finished, I don't want to ruin it by dulling everything out. Yet I feel I need to protect it. I will certainly post the result for everyone to see.

So there is the plan of the day. I also want to make a nice pot of vegetable beef barley soup. I picked up some fresh corn and beans and it is another brisk, yet sunny day today. Soup will be a welcome treat.

I wish you all a lovely day today. I will be back tomorrow with progress on my several projects at hand. I can't wait to see them all get finished up!

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,917 ·
Multi-Tasking

It has been quite busy, as usual here for me these days. I was truly grateful and overwhelmed by everyone's response to my drawing of Pancakes. It truly makes me feel that I am on the right track with things and I am doing something right. Again - I have to give a huge 'thank you' to teachers who present online classes for us to learn and expand our artistic horizons. It his world of negativity and sadness, it does wonders to focus on something as simple as creating as an 'escape'. I am often asked how I can remain so happy all the time. Like everyone, I have my issues, but for the most part I try to focus on things that are positive and uplifting, and I try to uplift others as well through my art. It is hard to stay sad when you see the happiness you are able to bring to others. Making even a small, positive difference in others' lives really makes a difference in my own. Again - thank you.

So what do I have planned for today?

Lots!

As I look on my desk at all the things I want to tackle today, I know I will be having quite a bit of fun. It is filled with new projects, trying new products and general creating for patterns and classes.

Table Tableware Plastic bottle Bottle Wood


I don't know where to begin first! (What a wonderful problem to have!)

I'll start with the pumpkin that I am creating for an online class for Toletown. I am privileged to be a member of their design team, and I have projects with videos up for the months of November and December. I haven't done videos in quite a while because with us moving and all, I have had to get my footing in my new studio and environment and figure out how I was going to do things. My previous videos were done in our small apartment kitchen and the lighting and so forth were not really what I would call "optimal". I had to hang the tripod off of the microwave behind me to hold the camera and while it worked, it certainly didn't give the best result.

Now I have a big, bright place to create in. Keith built a stand for my camera that should allow a great 'bird's eye' view of what I am doing. I can't wait to try it out. Hopefully this will mean more videos in the future. I like doing them, but since I have so much time in between them there is a learning curve every time I go back and do another. I hope to build up the library on my site and YouTube Channel so there is more information on woodworking, painting and yes - even embroidery. I hope you stick with me or check back to see how I am doing for that.

In any case, I liked the way the glass pumpkin came out that i did using Kim Christmas' pattern that I decided I wanted to make one for my own class:

Cucurbita Plant Pumpkin Winter squash Calabaza


Of course I won't be doing the same design, but I have some ideas of my own that will use this glass pumpkin that I picked up for under $7 at our Bulk Barn and use some cool DecoArt products to create a cool, unusual piece:

Liquid Product Fluid Paint Table


I can promise it will be unlike any pumpkins you have ever seen! :) (Keith tilted his head to the side when I told him what I had planned and said "Huh?") I suppose that you are either going to like it or not. That is what creating original art is all about, right?

My next project of the day is to finish off this word art pattern for my scrolling followers. I suppose there isn't really a mystery involved with this project, but I want to offer a couple of versions of it so that if you want to dabble in painting, you can give it a try. I think you will like the result for that project as well, and I hope it encourages some woodworkers to try their hand at painting! ;)

Wood Gesture Art Font Carmine


And finally - I want to try out the Krylon Gallery Series Fine Art fixatif for protecting my pastel picture of Pancakes.

Liquid Drinkware Bottle Fluid Water bottle


This isn't the 'regular' fixativ from Krylon - I got it from an art store and it cost about twice as much. (La-de-DA!) But as you see on the can, it is supposed to protect artwork without dulling or killing the highlights and it lists pastels specifically on the label. I tried another fixativ when I was drawing Pancakes to 'set' his eyes, and it did kill many of the highlights. I wasn't too concerned, as I still had a while to go with the drawing and I just added them back in, but now that it is finished, I don't want to ruin it by dulling everything out. Yet I feel I need to protect it. I will certainly post the result for everyone to see.

So there is the plan of the day. I also want to make a nice pot of vegetable beef barley soup. I picked up some fresh corn and beans and it is another brisk, yet sunny day today. Soup will be a welcome treat.

I wish you all a lovely day today. I will be back tomorrow with progress on my several projects at hand. I can't wait to see them all get finished up!

Happy Thursday to you all!
Sounds like all you need is several more pairs of hands, . . . or a rotating tabletop so that while one project is drying, you can spin to the next project, etc. ;)
Great to see all of the creativity in action.
Have fun with all of it.
 

Attachments

#12,921 ·
Product Test - Krylon Gallery Series Fine Art Fixativ

Today's post will be pretty much to the point. I have already been out and back and have a multitude of tasks that I need to work on today. It is all a great deal of fun though, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Most of you have seen my completed pastel drawing of my dear cat Pancakes:

Cat Carnivore Felidae Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


I have had such a wonderful response to it that I can't express my appreciation for your wonderful support. It really helps me feel as if I am heading in the right direction with my art and my work. Again - I am very grateful to Jason Morgan as well, for sharing his knowledge and love of art with us. I encourage those of you who are looking to learn from an expert to visit Jason's Patreon channel and consider supporting him. You will certainly be glad you did. I have learned more from him in the short time I have subscribed to his channel than I can ever tell you.

With the drawing being complete, I found myself in a bit of a dilemma . . .

What can I do to protect the fragile pastels that I used to create this piece?

Unlike watercolors or paint, pastels don't 'set' or 'dry' and they remain workable and movable on your paper until you fixate them in some way. Even if they are put under glass, they are still exposed to the elements (although to a lesser degree) and susceptible to damage.

Because of their fragile nature, you can't just use anything to 'fix' and seal them. While I was creating the drawing, I had used a high end product that was meant for 'fixing' colored pencils and set the eye, as I had reached a stage when creating it that I thought was good. I wanted to 'freeze' the eye into place so that I wouldn't smudge it or ruin it while completing the drawing. But once I sprayed the product, I noticed that many of the highlights were dulled and knocked out. The entire image appeared to be somewhat darker.

I didn't panic because as I said - I was still in the drawing process. I simply re-applied the highlights as I continued to work. But it left the question in my mind as to how I would protect and fix this drawing while keeping its colors true.

I asked around some of my forums, but didn't find a definitive answer. I realized that it would be up to me to try some things and experiment and I am pleased to let you know that I think I found an acceptable product.

A while back, I invested in Krylon's Gallery Series Fine Art Fixatif.

Liquid Drinkware Bottle Fluid Water bottle


I say "invested" because I think this 11 oz can cost me over $17. That is about twice the price of the usual Krylon Fixativ that I have used. I had originally bought it to use on my watercolor and colored pencil drawings, but have not used it as of yet.

As you may be able to see, the label states that it provides "Invisible protection of artwork without dissolving whites and lights."

That was good. It was as if they knew exactly what the problem with the other fixativ was. It also said specifically that it "Safeguards pastel, charcoal and pencil from dusting, smudging and fading."

Yay! That meant it that they had pastels in mind when they created this formula. Hopefully, it also meant that they were aware of the above mentioned issues that I had encountered. I saw promise.

In the old days of creating, I would have run right out and given ole' Pancakes a spray with it, hoping for the desired result. But call it age or experience of intelligence, I had learned in the past that things don't always do what they promise. I was using Krylon's Temporary Spray Adhesive for applying my scroll saw patterns and the quality recently had diminished so much that I won't touch the stuff anymore. I had hoped that this wouldn't be the case here (especially since it cost so much!) and I have LEARNED to TEST on a benign piece first. (Ahh - you CAN teach an old girl new tricks after all!)

So here is what I did . . .

I took some white Pastelmat paper (the same type of paper I used on Pancakes - only WHITE) and applied a range of pastel colors. I also applied white over them so I could check for the highlights fading out.

Jaw Paint Rectangle Gesture Art


For good measure, I took the end scrap from the same paper I did the Pancakes drawing on. I also put a variety of colors on it.

Rectangle Flag Electric blue Woolen Tints and shades


I then placed a sheet of cardboard over half of the drawings and taped them to a board. I sprayed a good, solid layer of the Krylon Gallery Series Fine Art Fixatif over it:

Rectangle Paint Yellow Art Font


Below are my result:

Liquid Paint Fluid Font Rectangle


I tried my very best to take the photos in the same place in the same light and not adjust them at all. You can see that the Krylon did pretty well.

The division line is barely discernible. I used the red arrows to show where it actually is. There is a very (VERY) faint difference between the two sides, but even side to side, it is hard to see. These were taken in pure, indirect daylight.

Even on the dark paper on the bottom, you can't see any fading to speak of.

I think we have a 'winner'. :)

Now I am sure you are waiting for the photo of the Pancakes picture sprayed, and I must admit that I am still getting my nerve to do it. Even though the tests came out well, I am sure my artist friends can empathize with my reservations about actually spraying it. I am mustering up the courage to do so later today.

I invite anyone else who has had experience with this product to share it with me. Good or bad, I would love to hear from you.

In other things, my pumpkin is in the oven and on its way to being worked on today:

Dishware Food Ingredient Serveware Gas


My Merry Christmas is also on my painting table and the first stage of painting is nearly complete. (YES - I WILL have the wood cutout available on my site for those who want it! I have already been asked by several people. :) )

Paint Liquid Tints and shades Urban design Event


(Sorry the picture isn't the best!)

It will be a busy and creative weekend. I need to shoot a video with some of the techniques that I am using on the pumpkin, too. That is going to be a really fun project.

I wish you all a great Friday today and a wonderful weekend ahead. It is overcast, cold and rainy here in Nova Scotia. I made a large pot of vegetable beef soup and I have some bread to go in the oven (after the pumpkin is out, of course!) and it is a good day to stay in and curl up with my art supplies and kitties. I think I will spend the entire weekend doing so!

Enjoy your weekend as well and do something wonderfully creative! You will be amazed at how uplifting it can be!

Happy Friday!
 

Attachments

#12,922 ·
Product Test - Krylon Gallery Series Fine Art Fixativ

Today's post will be pretty much to the point. I have already been out and back and have a multitude of tasks that I need to work on today. It is all a great deal of fun though, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Most of you have seen my completed pastel drawing of my dear cat Pancakes:

Cat Carnivore Felidae Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


I have had such a wonderful response to it that I can't express my appreciation for your wonderful support. It really helps me feel as if I am heading in the right direction with my art and my work. Again - I am very grateful to Jason Morgan as well, for sharing his knowledge and love of art with us. I encourage those of you who are looking to learn from an expert to visit Jason's Patreon channel and consider supporting him. You will certainly be glad you did. I have learned more from him in the short time I have subscribed to his channel than I can ever tell you.

With the drawing being complete, I found myself in a bit of a dilemma . . .

What can I do to protect the fragile pastels that I used to create this piece?

Unlike watercolors or paint, pastels don't 'set' or 'dry' and they remain workable and movable on your paper until you fixate them in some way. Even if they are put under glass, they are still exposed to the elements (although to a lesser degree) and susceptible to damage.

Because of their fragile nature, you can't just use anything to 'fix' and seal them. While I was creating the drawing, I had used a high end product that was meant for 'fixing' colored pencils and set the eye, as I had reached a stage when creating it that I thought was good. I wanted to 'freeze' the eye into place so that I wouldn't smudge it or ruin it while completing the drawing. But once I sprayed the product, I noticed that many of the highlights were dulled and knocked out. The entire image appeared to be somewhat darker.

I didn't panic because as I said - I was still in the drawing process. I simply re-applied the highlights as I continued to work. But it left the question in my mind as to how I would protect and fix this drawing while keeping its colors true.

I asked around some of my forums, but didn't find a definitive answer. I realized that it would be up to me to try some things and experiment and I am pleased to let you know that I think I found an acceptable product.

A while back, I invested in Krylon's Gallery Series Fine Art Fixatif.

Liquid Drinkware Bottle Fluid Water bottle


I say "invested" because I think this 11 oz can cost me over $17. That is about twice the price of the usual Krylon Fixativ that I have used. I had originally bought it to use on my watercolor and colored pencil drawings, but have not used it as of yet.

As you may be able to see, the label states that it provides "Invisible protection of artwork without dissolving whites and lights."

That was good. It was as if they knew exactly what the problem with the other fixativ was. It also said specifically that it "Safeguards pastel, charcoal and pencil from dusting, smudging and fading."

Yay! That meant it that they had pastels in mind when they created this formula. Hopefully, it also meant that they were aware of the above mentioned issues that I had encountered. I saw promise.

In the old days of creating, I would have run right out and given ole' Pancakes a spray with it, hoping for the desired result. But call it age or experience of intelligence, I had learned in the past that things don't always do what they promise. I was using Krylon's Temporary Spray Adhesive for applying my scroll saw patterns and the quality recently had diminished so much that I won't touch the stuff anymore. I had hoped that this wouldn't be the case here (especially since it cost so much!) and I have LEARNED to TEST on a benign piece first. (Ahh - you CAN teach an old girl new tricks after all!)

So here is what I did . . .

I took some white Pastelmat paper (the same type of paper I used on Pancakes - only WHITE) and applied a range of pastel colors. I also applied white over them so I could check for the highlights fading out.

Jaw Paint Rectangle Gesture Art


For good measure, I took the end scrap from the same paper I did the Pancakes drawing on. I also put a variety of colors on it.

Rectangle Flag Electric blue Woolen Tints and shades


I then placed a sheet of cardboard over half of the drawings and taped them to a board. I sprayed a good, solid layer of the Krylon Gallery Series Fine Art Fixatif over it:

Rectangle Paint Yellow Art Font


Below are my result:

Liquid Paint Fluid Font Rectangle


I tried my very best to take the photos in the same place in the same light and not adjust them at all. You can see that the Krylon did pretty well.

The division line is barely discernible. I used the red arrows to show where it actually is. There is a very (VERY) faint difference between the two sides, but even side to side, it is hard to see. These were taken in pure, indirect daylight.

Even on the dark paper on the bottom, you can't see any fading to speak of.

I think we have a 'winner'. :)

Now I am sure you are waiting for the photo of the Pancakes picture sprayed, and I must admit that I am still getting my nerve to do it. Even though the tests came out well, I am sure my artist friends can empathize with my reservations about actually spraying it. I am mustering up the courage to do so later today.

I invite anyone else who has had experience with this product to share it with me. Good or bad, I would love to hear from you.

In other things, my pumpkin is in the oven and on its way to being worked on today:

Dishware Food Ingredient Serveware Gas


My Merry Christmas is also on my painting table and the first stage of painting is nearly complete. (YES - I WILL have the wood cutout available on my site for those who want it! I have already been asked by several people. :) )

Paint Liquid Tints and shades Urban design Event


(Sorry the picture isn't the best!)

It will be a busy and creative weekend. I need to shoot a video with some of the techniques that I am using on the pumpkin, too. That is going to be a really fun project.

I wish you all a great Friday today and a wonderful weekend ahead. It is overcast, cold and rainy here in Nova Scotia. I made a large pot of vegetable beef soup and I have some bread to go in the oven (after the pumpkin is out, of course!) and it is a good day to stay in and curl up with my art supplies and kitties. I think I will spend the entire weekend doing so!

Enjoy your weekend as well and do something wonderfully creative! You will be amazed at how uplifting it can be!

Happy Friday!
It looks like the Krylon will do a good job of preserving "Pancakes" without any loss of colour. Love the "Merry Christmas" Is it that time of year already?!
Enjoy your creative weekend :)
 

Attachments

#12,924 ·
Some New Projects

I am posting a little later than normal today. I am starting to wonder what 'normal' really is. I haven't been doing anything in particular this morning that is interesting or fun, (like sleeping! ;) ) but I have been doing the usual organizing and checking and responding to emails and general straightening of the house here. Things we all do in the morning.

Lately I feel as if my world is spinning a bit too quickly. More so than it usually does for me. I am not quite sure the cause of it and I am not quite sure that even really matters. It may be 'growing pains' or 'moving pains' or even just part of the creative cycle. As I read that so many of my other creative friends whom I admire and respect go through the same thing, I can't help but think that it is part of the process. After all - who I am I to think that it doesn't happen to me as well?

It isn't as if I am out of ideas. In fact, it is more likely the opposite. Too many ideas and not enough time. If I allow it, it will stifle me just by the feeling of being overwhelmed. I don't want that to happen.

I have thought things through and I have come to the conclusion that the best way to continue and overcome this 'stage' is to just do the best I can and be happy with that. No disappointment in myself or shame is allowed. For even though I have only been feeling this way a couple of months, I realized that those feelings only make things worse. I need to take the advice I have been handing out so freely these past several years and focus on the positive things and the things that I HAVE accomplished. That will certainly point me in the right direction. (I know - easier said than done sometimes!)

With that said, we will move forward. I still have lots of wonderful things to share with you in the near future if you are a little patient with me. I feel that my creative journey has just began in so many wonderful areas and I invite you all to come along and see what both Keith and I have in store for you. I am sure it will be inspiring!

Yesterday we updated our website and sent out a newsletter to our Mailing List subscribers. We have some new designs for you all to enjoy and I would also like to share them here. . .

First up - Keith has a new Christmas Greetings word art sign pattern that I just love:

Brown Rectangle Art Wood Font


You can get the pattern for it here on the site - SLDK692 - Christmas Greetings Sign. It is a fun project to cut and would make a lovely gift for anyone on your holiday list.

He also added in a beautiful set of Dimensional 12 Days of Christmas ornaments (SLDK693):

Font Symmetry Symbol Pattern Visual arts


The ornaments are a great project for someone who hasn't cut a lot on the scroll saw, but also very pretty. The ornaments can be created either dimensional or flat, which makes them even more fun and versatile.

For my contribution this time, I created a fun and simple "Merry Christmas Word Art" pattern (SL534):

Font Event Wood Graphics Logo


It is a fun and easy scroll saw pattern to make the word art in a beautiful, natural finish, but it also comes with full painting instructions for those who like to paint. I also have the pre-cut wood piece available (SPDPK155) for those who don't cut wood. The wood piece also comes with the full painting instructions using DecoArt acrylic paint. But you can use any paint you like and decorate the wood piece to your own taste.

We also have our usual Sales and Specials available with some wonderful seasonal items on special. We know it is a busy time for everyone and lots of you are getting ready for your craft shows and holidays.

Besides getting the new items ready for the update, I have been working on a project for Toletown online painting community. I am a member of the design team and I have the honor of having one of my projects featured for the month of November. I am working on this cool glass pumpkin that I am painting with a winter theme:

Wood Natural material Brush Serveware Art


I love the blue chalky paint that I used for the base and I am in the process of adding winter roses on it:

Table Wood Liquid Plastic bottle Mason jar


I should finish up today and then I will get the packet ready and shoot a short video on some of the techniques that I used to create it. I hope everyone likes it.

I am also running an 'event' for my painters through Toletown. They have their annual Halloween hunt where you can visit various online businesses for lots of great 'treats'. You can get your map HERE and start collecting yours! It is always a fun event and offers lots of cool savings for my painting friends.

Well, that is it for me today. I am off to finish painting my pumpkin. Thanks again for all of you who visit my blog regularly and also those who comment. I appreciate knowing you are there very much. I know I have been slow going by my own standards, but I hope to be back to full speed soon. I am sure there are many great projects to come. I hope you join me on my journey.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,925 ·
Some New Projects

I am posting a little later than normal today. I am starting to wonder what 'normal' really is. I haven't been doing anything in particular this morning that is interesting or fun, (like sleeping! ;) ) but I have been doing the usual organizing and checking and responding to emails and general straightening of the house here. Things we all do in the morning.

Lately I feel as if my world is spinning a bit too quickly. More so than it usually does for me. I am not quite sure the cause of it and I am not quite sure that even really matters. It may be 'growing pains' or 'moving pains' or even just part of the creative cycle. As I read that so many of my other creative friends whom I admire and respect go through the same thing, I can't help but think that it is part of the process. After all - who I am I to think that it doesn't happen to me as well?

It isn't as if I am out of ideas. In fact, it is more likely the opposite. Too many ideas and not enough time. If I allow it, it will stifle me just by the feeling of being overwhelmed. I don't want that to happen.

I have thought things through and I have come to the conclusion that the best way to continue and overcome this 'stage' is to just do the best I can and be happy with that. No disappointment in myself or shame is allowed. For even though I have only been feeling this way a couple of months, I realized that those feelings only make things worse. I need to take the advice I have been handing out so freely these past several years and focus on the positive things and the things that I HAVE accomplished. That will certainly point me in the right direction. (I know - easier said than done sometimes!)

With that said, we will move forward. I still have lots of wonderful things to share with you in the near future if you are a little patient with me. I feel that my creative journey has just began in so many wonderful areas and I invite you all to come along and see what both Keith and I have in store for you. I am sure it will be inspiring!

Yesterday we updated our website and sent out a newsletter to our Mailing List subscribers. We have some new designs for you all to enjoy and I would also like to share them here. . .

First up - Keith has a new Christmas Greetings word art sign pattern that I just love:

Brown Rectangle Art Wood Font


You can get the pattern for it here on the site - SLDK692 - Christmas Greetings Sign. It is a fun project to cut and would make a lovely gift for anyone on your holiday list.

He also added in a beautiful set of Dimensional 12 Days of Christmas ornaments (SLDK693):

Font Symmetry Symbol Pattern Visual arts


The ornaments are a great project for someone who hasn't cut a lot on the scroll saw, but also very pretty. The ornaments can be created either dimensional or flat, which makes them even more fun and versatile.

For my contribution this time, I created a fun and simple "Merry Christmas Word Art" pattern (SL534):

Font Event Wood Graphics Logo


It is a fun and easy scroll saw pattern to make the word art in a beautiful, natural finish, but it also comes with full painting instructions for those who like to paint. I also have the pre-cut wood piece available (SPDPK155) for those who don't cut wood. The wood piece also comes with the full painting instructions using DecoArt acrylic paint. But you can use any paint you like and decorate the wood piece to your own taste.

We also have our usual Sales and Specials available with some wonderful seasonal items on special. We know it is a busy time for everyone and lots of you are getting ready for your craft shows and holidays.

Besides getting the new items ready for the update, I have been working on a project for Toletown online painting community. I am a member of the design team and I have the honor of having one of my projects featured for the month of November. I am working on this cool glass pumpkin that I am painting with a winter theme:

Wood Natural material Brush Serveware Art


I love the blue chalky paint that I used for the base and I am in the process of adding winter roses on it:

Table Wood Liquid Plastic bottle Mason jar


I should finish up today and then I will get the packet ready and shoot a short video on some of the techniques that I used to create it. I hope everyone likes it.

I am also running an 'event' for my painters through Toletown. They have their annual Halloween hunt where you can visit various online businesses for lots of great 'treats'. You can get your map HERE and start collecting yours! It is always a fun event and offers lots of cool savings for my painting friends.

Well, that is it for me today. I am off to finish painting my pumpkin. Thanks again for all of you who visit my blog regularly and also those who comment. I appreciate knowing you are there very much. I know I have been slow going by my own standards, but I hope to be back to full speed soon. I am sure there are many great projects to come. I hope you join me on my journey.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
WOW! What great artists you both are. Thanks for the post. Sheila, have you done any more ribbon embroidery of recent? I enjoyed your previous post of the work.
 

Attachments

#12,929 ·
My Winter Pumpkin

As a designer, we try to think of original things to create. When I mentioned that I wanted to make a "blue pumpkin with Christmas roses" on it, he cringed. He just didn't see my vision.

That is the risk we need to take every time we try something new. Over the years, I have learned to have a pretty tough skin. I used to be greatly influenced by those around me when I had an idea as to what I was going to design. I would try my best to explain things so that people would be able to see the same vision that I was seeing in my head, but I wasn't always successful in doing so. I think sometimes we just assume that others can grasp the ideas we have and understand them fully, but the more I created, the more I saw this wasn't the case.

In my early days, I used to try to tell people what I was thinking and in a way, obtain their approval or encouragement. But after realizing that most didn't have the same 'vision' that I had of these things - no matter how accurately I described it - I also realized that I was asking approval on something that perhaps wasn't at all what I was thinking about. When those people would describe them back to me or see them finished, I would find out that their concept of my idea and the actual idea were often not even close. It was a good lesson to be learned.

I think back on how many ideas that I shared that were 'nixed' because I didn't have the confidence to move ahead on my own and asked the opinion of an outsider. It is a shame really when I think about it. There were probably at least a couple of 'good ideas' that got trashed before they even had a chance. I suppose I will never know.

The reason I am telling you this story is because I want you all to realize this when you are coming up with your own ideas. While sometimes it is nice to have feedback on certain aspects of things, remember to take it with a grain of salt and try not to allow others who may not see the same vision as clearly as you do stop you from trying something new. You probably will surprise not only yourself, but them as well and it will help feed your confidence in anything you create whether it be painting, drawing or designing. Every idea my not be the biggest hit, but at least you know it had a fair chance. And I look at the ones that don't make it as 'school' where I learned something from the process. It is a win/win.

Now back to my blue pumpkin . . .

I had a couple of stumbling blocks in creating this pumpkin. I learned a lot while making it. But by figuring things out, I learned a bit about the process and I will now be able to apply that knowledge to other projects and share the information with you. Whether the project is a 'hit' or not with others is rather inconsequential. It was a benefit to me and will be to others indirectly, too.

I finished painting the glass pumpkin yesterday and this is the result.

Dishware Serveware Calabaza Porcelain Pumpkin


I must say, it is pretty darn close to what I had pictured in my head. I wanted something 'different' that could be displayed not only through the Christmas season, but the winter as well.

The design is quite simple, with some gently float-shaded leaves and petals to form the flowers.

Dishware Drinkware Cup Tableware Serveware


You can't see it on the photograph, but the centers and spots on the petals are metallic gold.

Dishware Petal Serveware Hat Drinkware


I even painted the fabric leaves with some matching paint and metallic gold:

Plant Tree Flower Wood Twig


Overall, it makes a nice presentation, I think. I already sprayed my own piece with some gloss varnish and I MAY add some crystal rhinestones just for a finishing accent. (I haven't decided yet!).

To create this pretty piece, I used all DecoArt products (Americana Acrylic paint, Metallic Lustre acrylic wax finish, Chalky Paint for Glass and Gloss Spray acrylic varnish) Everything is odor-free and cleans up with soap and water.

I am spending today creating the pattern packet and the video that will be available on ToleTown. I invite you to check it out. You can join for a very small fee and you gain a wealth of classes, patterns and videos. It is well worth the small fee.

I hope you like this piece as much as I do. I know it isn't the norm, but I think it is a fun and unique project that can be displayed the entire winter.

Sometimes thinking of things that are a bit different can be a lot of fun. I think this was one of those time.

Enjoy your Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#12,930 ·
My Winter Pumpkin

As a designer, we try to think of original things to create. When I mentioned that I wanted to make a "blue pumpkin with Christmas roses" on it, he cringed. He just didn't see my vision.

That is the risk we need to take every time we try something new. Over the years, I have learned to have a pretty tough skin. I used to be greatly influenced by those around me when I had an idea as to what I was going to design. I would try my best to explain things so that people would be able to see the same vision that I was seeing in my head, but I wasn't always successful in doing so. I think sometimes we just assume that others can grasp the ideas we have and understand them fully, but the more I created, the more I saw this wasn't the case.

In my early days, I used to try to tell people what I was thinking and in a way, obtain their approval or encouragement. But after realizing that most didn't have the same 'vision' that I had of these things - no matter how accurately I described it - I also realized that I was asking approval on something that perhaps wasn't at all what I was thinking about. When those people would describe them back to me or see them finished, I would find out that their concept of my idea and the actual idea were often not even close. It was a good lesson to be learned.

I think back on how many ideas that I shared that were 'nixed' because I didn't have the confidence to move ahead on my own and asked the opinion of an outsider. It is a shame really when I think about it. There were probably at least a couple of 'good ideas' that got trashed before they even had a chance. I suppose I will never know.

The reason I am telling you this story is because I want you all to realize this when you are coming up with your own ideas. While sometimes it is nice to have feedback on certain aspects of things, remember to take it with a grain of salt and try not to allow others who may not see the same vision as clearly as you do stop you from trying something new. You probably will surprise not only yourself, but them as well and it will help feed your confidence in anything you create whether it be painting, drawing or designing. Every idea my not be the biggest hit, but at least you know it had a fair chance. And I look at the ones that don't make it as 'school' where I learned something from the process. It is a win/win.

Now back to my blue pumpkin . . .

I had a couple of stumbling blocks in creating this pumpkin. I learned a lot while making it. But by figuring things out, I learned a bit about the process and I will now be able to apply that knowledge to other projects and share the information with you. Whether the project is a 'hit' or not with others is rather inconsequential. It was a benefit to me and will be to others indirectly, too.

I finished painting the glass pumpkin yesterday and this is the result.

Dishware Serveware Calabaza Porcelain Pumpkin


I must say, it is pretty darn close to what I had pictured in my head. I wanted something 'different' that could be displayed not only through the Christmas season, but the winter as well.

The design is quite simple, with some gently float-shaded leaves and petals to form the flowers.

Dishware Drinkware Cup Tableware Serveware


You can't see it on the photograph, but the centers and spots on the petals are metallic gold.

Dishware Petal Serveware Hat Drinkware


I even painted the fabric leaves with some matching paint and metallic gold:

Plant Tree Flower Wood Twig


Overall, it makes a nice presentation, I think. I already sprayed my own piece with some gloss varnish and I MAY add some crystal rhinestones just for a finishing accent. (I haven't decided yet!).

To create this pretty piece, I used all DecoArt products (Americana Acrylic paint, Metallic Lustre acrylic wax finish, Chalky Paint for Glass and Gloss Spray acrylic varnish) Everything is odor-free and cleans up with soap and water.

I am spending today creating the pattern packet and the video that will be available on ToleTown. I invite you to check it out. You can join for a very small fee and you gain a wealth of classes, patterns and videos. It is well worth the small fee.

I hope you like this piece as much as I do. I know it isn't the norm, but I think it is a fun and unique project that can be displayed the entire winter.

Sometimes thinking of things that are a bit different can be a lot of fun. I think this was one of those time.

Enjoy your Wednesday!
Gold star for this one. Beautifully done.
 

Attachments

#12,934 ·
"Next Year" is HERE!

It was exciting.

It was gut-wrenching.

It was just short of amazing.

At approximately 2am last night Nova Scotia time, the Cubs did it. They won a World Championship. It has been a long, long time coming . . .

Most of you know I come from Chicago. I lived the first 42 years of my life in the city and surrounding suburbs. The first 13 years of my life I lived on the south side of the city - IN the city. It was so different back then.

I remember the first ball game I ever went to. My friends and I (probably about 10 years old) all took the bus (well - several buses) to the north side to go to a game at Wrigley Field. It was a Friday. I remember that because it was "Ladies Day" and we got into the park for free. We sat in the left field bleachers and had a ball. It was a great memory.

My grandfather used to drive a truck for a living. He would leave early in the morning before the sun came up and come home around 3pm, right before we got home from school. During baseball season, he would spend the afternoon watching the Cubs play. There were no lights at Wrigley then. The games started in the afternoon. Jack Brickhouse was a common name in our home (those were the days when Harry Carey was an announcer for the Sox) and if the game were close, my grandfather would turn it off in disgust - "I can't even watch!", he would say. Those memories all came flooding back last night. I am sure that somewhere, somehow, he is happy.

Since coming to Nova Scotia 12 years ago I haven't watched too much sports. I used to be an avid football fan,, with games going all weekend long in the season. I would watch baseball on and off when the opportunity arose, but we all know how it goes - sometimes life gets in the way. I don't have 'regular TV' here anymore and being in Canada, things just aren't the same.

But these past few weeks have been different. Many of you know that I spend a good amount of time on Facebook. There I have reconnected with so many friends from my childhood and you adulthood, as well as made new friends from all over the world who share my interest in art and creating in many forms. It has truly been my 'window to the world' these past years and allows me to live in a beautiful, rural area and still have friends and family near by. Sometimes technology is really amazing.

Throughout the past couple of weeks, as the Cubs came closer to wrapping it up, I noticed something nice. Instead of the usual bickering and nasty political comments and posts, there were more posts that were supportive and encouraging regarding the Cubs. It appeared that so many people were pulling for them. Not only those from Chicago, such as myself, but from all over. Everyone loves an under dog.

I was unaable to see the game live last night, but I did find a 'virtual scoreboard' that kept score close to 'real time'. I tuned that in and was doing some things here while keeping watch. I also saw the growing posts of my family and friends as the game progressed. It made it fun.

I was reminded of days gone by when games were 'blacked out' in Chicago and my grandfather would put the radio on in the bathroom and go in there to listen. (This happened with Bears games as well as White Sox games too). I remember listening back then with no visual and still feeling the great excitement and sometimes disappointment as our team(s) fought for victory. That in itself filled me with emotion.

The evening progressed and the excitement grew. I found myself being more and more drawn to my Facebook friends. I began seeing better play-by-play from them than the channel I was watching. No matter where they lived now, we had the common bond of growing up in Chicago and waiting until "Next year" for it to be THE year of the Cubs.

Well, last night made THIS year Next Year! You all probably know it by now. Some of you care more than others. Some may be quite indifferent. As for me, I am thrilled!

I am not only happy for the team, but I was so happy to see the excitement that brought everyone together for those few hours during the game. People that I have seen post completely opposite viewpoints on politics, the election and so many other subjects, were all joined together in happiness and anticipation. Even the Cleveland fans were cool. Everyone was respectful and excited and having FUN! Besides the occasional "goat" post, there was nothing at all bitter, mean or negative. It just goes to show how people can be on opposite sides and still get along. It is a lesson we all need to observe, I think.

I give the Cleveland team and fans a huge amount of credit. I am sure their disappointment in losing was profound - especially given the nail-biting-heart-stopping game. But as of this morning, I have not seen ONE negative, mean or ugly post from them. I think they were all the epitome of class and sportsmanship. This is how things should be. This is how a LOT of things should be. (Oh - if the world were just that perfect!)

I went to bed and it took me a long time to settle down and fall asleep. My heart was pounding long after the final out was made. Not only because of the long (LONG!) awaited victory, but because after months and months of seeing our countries (BOTH countries that I call home) tearing themselves to shreds, for a few hours they seemed to come together. That, my friends, is MAGIC!

We all can accomplish so much when working together in a positive direction. I preach that every day here. Sometimes a bit more subtly than others, but it is my underlying message all the same.

By tearing each other down and focusing on things that are negative, we waste so much energy hurting each other and ourselves. We need to take the time and turn our anger and frustration into something good and positive. It is hard to be angry or sad when you are bringing joy to another. Be it a friend, a stranger or even an animal. It is a good lesson to learn.

I will remember those hours of last evening probably for the rest of my life. I am not sure why it impacted me so much. Was it because things have been so bitter lately? Was it because I have been 'homesick'? Or was it just because the world has seemed a bit harsh lately?

Whatever the reason, it wasn't there during this game. You can say "It is only a ball game." , but for whatever reason, I felt really GOOD last night. And HOPEFUL. And PROUD. There IS hope for people. Sometimes we just need to take a breath and think before we act or say something. Maybe if we change how we react to people and how we act towards others - just a little - we will help ourselves overcome this apathy and sadness that has seemed to grip so many. Just one day and one act at a time.

Congratulations, Cubbies!

Congratulations to ALL the fans - from BOTH sides. You all showed a huge amount of class.

Happy Thursday to you all!

"Next Year" has arrived! We can make it better than ever!

Happy Smile Wood Toddler Thumb


My son Phil in 1984 and his dad. True "diehard" fans. I am so, so happy for them! :)
 

Attachments

#12,935 ·
"Next Year" is HERE!

It was exciting.

It was gut-wrenching.

It was just short of amazing.

At approximately 2am last night Nova Scotia time, the Cubs did it. They won a World Championship. It has been a long, long time coming . . .

Most of you know I come from Chicago. I lived the first 42 years of my life in the city and surrounding suburbs. The first 13 years of my life I lived on the south side of the city - IN the city. It was so different back then.

I remember the first ball game I ever went to. My friends and I (probably about 10 years old) all took the bus (well - several buses) to the north side to go to a game at Wrigley Field. It was a Friday. I remember that because it was "Ladies Day" and we got into the park for free. We sat in the left field bleachers and had a ball. It was a great memory.

My grandfather used to drive a truck for a living. He would leave early in the morning before the sun came up and come home around 3pm, right before we got home from school. During baseball season, he would spend the afternoon watching the Cubs play. There were no lights at Wrigley then. The games started in the afternoon. Jack Brickhouse was a common name in our home (those were the days when Harry Carey was an announcer for the Sox) and if the game were close, my grandfather would turn it off in disgust - "I can't even watch!", he would say. Those memories all came flooding back last night. I am sure that somewhere, somehow, he is happy.

Since coming to Nova Scotia 12 years ago I haven't watched too much sports. I used to be an avid football fan,, with games going all weekend long in the season. I would watch baseball on and off when the opportunity arose, but we all know how it goes - sometimes life gets in the way. I don't have 'regular TV' here anymore and being in Canada, things just aren't the same.

But these past few weeks have been different. Many of you know that I spend a good amount of time on Facebook. There I have reconnected with so many friends from my childhood and you adulthood, as well as made new friends from all over the world who share my interest in art and creating in many forms. It has truly been my 'window to the world' these past years and allows me to live in a beautiful, rural area and still have friends and family near by. Sometimes technology is really amazing.

Throughout the past couple of weeks, as the Cubs came closer to wrapping it up, I noticed something nice. Instead of the usual bickering and nasty political comments and posts, there were more posts that were supportive and encouraging regarding the Cubs. It appeared that so many people were pulling for them. Not only those from Chicago, such as myself, but from all over. Everyone loves an under dog.

I was unaable to see the game live last night, but I did find a 'virtual scoreboard' that kept score close to 'real time'. I tuned that in and was doing some things here while keeping watch. I also saw the growing posts of my family and friends as the game progressed. It made it fun.

I was reminded of days gone by when games were 'blacked out' in Chicago and my grandfather would put the radio on in the bathroom and go in there to listen. (This happened with Bears games as well as White Sox games too). I remember listening back then with no visual and still feeling the great excitement and sometimes disappointment as our team(s) fought for victory. That in itself filled me with emotion.

The evening progressed and the excitement grew. I found myself being more and more drawn to my Facebook friends. I began seeing better play-by-play from them than the channel I was watching. No matter where they lived now, we had the common bond of growing up in Chicago and waiting until "Next year" for it to be THE year of the Cubs.

Well, last night made THIS year Next Year! You all probably know it by now. Some of you care more than others. Some may be quite indifferent. As for me, I am thrilled!

I am not only happy for the team, but I was so happy to see the excitement that brought everyone together for those few hours during the game. People that I have seen post completely opposite viewpoints on politics, the election and so many other subjects, were all joined together in happiness and anticipation. Even the Cleveland fans were cool. Everyone was respectful and excited and having FUN! Besides the occasional "goat" post, there was nothing at all bitter, mean or negative. It just goes to show how people can be on opposite sides and still get along. It is a lesson we all need to observe, I think.

I give the Cleveland team and fans a huge amount of credit. I am sure their disappointment in losing was profound - especially given the nail-biting-heart-stopping game. But as of this morning, I have not seen ONE negative, mean or ugly post from them. I think they were all the epitome of class and sportsmanship. This is how things should be. This is how a LOT of things should be. (Oh - if the world were just that perfect!)

I went to bed and it took me a long time to settle down and fall asleep. My heart was pounding long after the final out was made. Not only because of the long (LONG!) awaited victory, but because after months and months of seeing our countries (BOTH countries that I call home) tearing themselves to shreds, for a few hours they seemed to come together. That, my friends, is MAGIC!

We all can accomplish so much when working together in a positive direction. I preach that every day here. Sometimes a bit more subtly than others, but it is my underlying message all the same.

By tearing each other down and focusing on things that are negative, we waste so much energy hurting each other and ourselves. We need to take the time and turn our anger and frustration into something good and positive. It is hard to be angry or sad when you are bringing joy to another. Be it a friend, a stranger or even an animal. It is a good lesson to learn.

I will remember those hours of last evening probably for the rest of my life. I am not sure why it impacted me so much. Was it because things have been so bitter lately? Was it because I have been 'homesick'? Or was it just because the world has seemed a bit harsh lately?

Whatever the reason, it wasn't there during this game. You can say "It is only a ball game." , but for whatever reason, I felt really GOOD last night. And HOPEFUL. And PROUD. There IS hope for people. Sometimes we just need to take a breath and think before we act or say something. Maybe if we change how we react to people and how we act towards others - just a little - we will help ourselves overcome this apathy and sadness that has seemed to grip so many. Just one day and one act at a time.

Congratulations, Cubbies!

Congratulations to ALL the fans - from BOTH sides. You all showed a huge amount of class.

Happy Thursday to you all!

"Next Year" has arrived! We can make it better than ever!

Happy Smile Wood Toddler Thumb


My son Phil in 1984 and his dad. True "diehard" fans. I am so, so happy for them! :)
I had thought this was your one and only post without a picture, and then it was at the end.
 

Attachments

#12,937 ·
The Value of "Creative Playtime"

It is probably the most frequent question that I receive as a designer. . .

"How do you keep coming up with so many new ideas?"

It is a big question and one that really has no quick answer. There are so many things that factor into creativity. Our mood, general health, and overall attitude are things that immediately come to mind. It is difficult to be creative if we are overwhelmed or exhausted. It is for me, in any case. While some great designers and artists are at their best creating in a chaotic environment, I need to have things clean and orderly. It is just the way I am.

I remember seeing a slide show on Facebook not too long ago which showed photos of many famous artists' studios. Some were neat as a pin and others were full of clutter and disarray. No matter which side of the scale they resided, they all were well-respected 'masters' that produced some of the most timeless and inspiring art. It was a good reminder that our own needs to be creative are as unique as we are. I think that is a good thing.

Lately, I have had trouble connecting with my creative side. Part of me feels as if I am making excuses for myself, as I haven't gone through a spell such as this in quite a while. But a larger part of me knows better than to blame myself or feel back about it. This is part of a cycle that all designers go through, and with the many changes that have occurred in my life this year, I feel that this lull is warranted. It is part of the process.

That doesn't mean that it is comfortable, though. I have so many ideas that I want to implement and it just doesn't seem that I have had the time or energy to do so. It seems to have been much easier for me to either create from others' designs or to do the non-creative part of my job like cut surfaces. It isn't that I don't like that part. I do so very much. It just feels that I haven't produced a lot of my own patterns from either scroll sawing or painting or even embroidery. I had to try to figure out why.

I have come to the conclusion that part of the problems is that I haven't been taking enough time for some 'me' creating. I like to call this "Creative Playtime". I define it as "Making something just for the sake of making it." It is something that as a successful designer, we don't always have time to do. The more successful we are, the less time we have to relax with our Creative Playtime. It is something we have to watch and be aware of, I think. Especially if we are finding ourselves going through a lull in our own designing and creativity.

In any case, I don't want to be too lengthy on the subject. I thought though that this was something that I wanted to share with you all because so many of my friends and followers are creative people and I know that many of you go through this yourselves. While what works for me may not apply to you, it may help you at one time or another when you feel stuck or uninspired. It is something to think about, anyway.

So how do we kick-start our creativity when things are like this?

I have been trying several different things with marginal success. Getting away from work was one thing. My only problem was that when I returned, it seemed that I spent a great deal of time catching up with things. That only seemed to add more stress and sometimes even made it worse.

I also tried taking some time to really organize things. That did wonders for me, as I felt a bit more in control of my life and as I mentioned before, I work best in a clean, organized environment. But I still wasn't feeling that I was back into the creative mode that I hoped for. There was still that feeling of being anxious and uncreative.

I tried to look at myself as objectively as possible and came to the conclusion that I had lost the time that I used to spend doing things for just 'me'. For the past two years, I have been working on some large embroidery projects in the evening, and I truly enjoyed them and found them both relaxing and fun. I had so many lovely supplies that I purchased and when moving and organizing things, I saw them again and wanted so much to use them. But time hasn't allowed. It seems that since we moved, I have been working on my business just about every waking hour, and not getting the emotional 'downtime' that I need. I realized that it had to change.

So I made a pledge to myself that most evenings, I will be spending my time doing things for myself. I realize that this is not always possible, but I need to make a commitment to myself to take some time doing things that may or may not pertain to the business and must first feed my creative soul. That is probably the clearest way I can describe things.

Keith often tells me that my play time looks an awful lot like my work time. He is probably right and on the outside, it probably does. That is because I am fortunate to be able to do what I love to do. Not everyone can say that.

But there is a difference in doing something that you want to do for the sake of doing it and something you have to do for 'work' or profit. You can't see the difference, but you know it in your heart. Sometimes after creating it, it turns into something that is profitable, but that is only a bonus. The first priority is to fill your need to create and anything else that comes along is extra. So if you see me doing some off-topic creative things in the future, you will understand why. In the long run, they will help me create for my business and for my customers and I think I will have better projects because of them. I think it is a win/win for everyone.

Last night I took the time to make something new. As I mentioned, I have so many lovely embroidery supplies that I can't wait to use. I have silk threads and ribbons, glass beads, and even metal threads for goldwork embroidery, which is something I have wanted to explore for the longest time. I dug into my arsenal and quickly drew up a small design and spent the evening 'playing'. Here is the result of last night's work:

Dishware Textile Sleeve Serveware Collar


I chose a scarab because I have always loved Egyptian art. One of my greatest memories I have is when my son took me to see the artifacts of King Tut when they were on display in Chicago several years ago. I was in complete awe at the designs and craftsmanship of those artists over 4000 years ago. The colors, materials, and designs were amazing.

Font Badge Dishware Jewellery Electric blue


The scarab is created on gold linen. The black thread for the head is cotton, the red spot on the back is rayon, the blue variegated back shell is silk. The beads are glass and the gold stripes and outline as well as the black jaw are metal threads. Being the first time that I used these goldwork supplies, it was a bit of a challenge. Most of the threads were purchased from Valdani (www.valdani.com) but the goldwork metal threads were purchased from The Crafty Attic (www.craftyattic.com) They have lovely metal threads, supplies and kits for goldwork, as well as many free educational videos for those interested in learning.

My scarab isn't completed yet, but I will work on him more tonight. I don't know what I will do with him, but I don't think it really matters. He has already served a purpose in getting me excited about designing again. I have two designs for the scroll saw that I want to work on today and a new painting design as well. I feel as if the floodgates are about to open.

Never underestimate the value of taking time for yourself. No matter how much you have on your plate, it is important to take some time to do something that will feed your soul and help you feel refreshed and emotionally rested. What will work for you is as individual as you are. No one can tell you what it is. You need to explore and find what your own personal formula will be. Once you find it, you will be amazed at how much it will affect your life in other ways. You will be happy you took the time to explore.

Electric blue Pattern Woolen Font Fashion accessory


I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday! Have a beautiful day and enjoy it to the fullest!
 

Attachments

#12,938 ·
The Value of "Creative Playtime"

It is probably the most frequent question that I receive as a designer. . .

"How do you keep coming up with so many new ideas?"

It is a big question and one that really has no quick answer. There are so many things that factor into creativity. Our mood, general health, and overall attitude are things that immediately come to mind. It is difficult to be creative if we are overwhelmed or exhausted. It is for me, in any case. While some great designers and artists are at their best creating in a chaotic environment, I need to have things clean and orderly. It is just the way I am.

I remember seeing a slide show on Facebook not too long ago which showed photos of many famous artists' studios. Some were neat as a pin and others were full of clutter and disarray. No matter which side of the scale they resided, they all were well-respected 'masters' that produced some of the most timeless and inspiring art. It was a good reminder that our own needs to be creative are as unique as we are. I think that is a good thing.

Lately, I have had trouble connecting with my creative side. Part of me feels as if I am making excuses for myself, as I haven't gone through a spell such as this in quite a while. But a larger part of me knows better than to blame myself or feel back about it. This is part of a cycle that all designers go through, and with the many changes that have occurred in my life this year, I feel that this lull is warranted. It is part of the process.

That doesn't mean that it is comfortable, though. I have so many ideas that I want to implement and it just doesn't seem that I have had the time or energy to do so. It seems to have been much easier for me to either create from others' designs or to do the non-creative part of my job like cut surfaces. It isn't that I don't like that part. I do so very much. It just feels that I haven't produced a lot of my own patterns from either scroll sawing or painting or even embroidery. I had to try to figure out why.

I have come to the conclusion that part of the problems is that I haven't been taking enough time for some 'me' creating. I like to call this "Creative Playtime". I define it as "Making something just for the sake of making it." It is something that as a successful designer, we don't always have time to do. The more successful we are, the less time we have to relax with our Creative Playtime. It is something we have to watch and be aware of, I think. Especially if we are finding ourselves going through a lull in our own designing and creativity.

In any case, I don't want to be too lengthy on the subject. I thought though that this was something that I wanted to share with you all because so many of my friends and followers are creative people and I know that many of you go through this yourselves. While what works for me may not apply to you, it may help you at one time or another when you feel stuck or uninspired. It is something to think about, anyway.

So how do we kick-start our creativity when things are like this?

I have been trying several different things with marginal success. Getting away from work was one thing. My only problem was that when I returned, it seemed that I spent a great deal of time catching up with things. That only seemed to add more stress and sometimes even made it worse.

I also tried taking some time to really organize things. That did wonders for me, as I felt a bit more in control of my life and as I mentioned before, I work best in a clean, organized environment. But I still wasn't feeling that I was back into the creative mode that I hoped for. There was still that feeling of being anxious and uncreative.

I tried to look at myself as objectively as possible and came to the conclusion that I had lost the time that I used to spend doing things for just 'me'. For the past two years, I have been working on some large embroidery projects in the evening, and I truly enjoyed them and found them both relaxing and fun. I had so many lovely supplies that I purchased and when moving and organizing things, I saw them again and wanted so much to use them. But time hasn't allowed. It seems that since we moved, I have been working on my business just about every waking hour, and not getting the emotional 'downtime' that I need. I realized that it had to change.

So I made a pledge to myself that most evenings, I will be spending my time doing things for myself. I realize that this is not always possible, but I need to make a commitment to myself to take some time doing things that may or may not pertain to the business and must first feed my creative soul. That is probably the clearest way I can describe things.

Keith often tells me that my play time looks an awful lot like my work time. He is probably right and on the outside, it probably does. That is because I am fortunate to be able to do what I love to do. Not everyone can say that.

But there is a difference in doing something that you want to do for the sake of doing it and something you have to do for 'work' or profit. You can't see the difference, but you know it in your heart. Sometimes after creating it, it turns into something that is profitable, but that is only a bonus. The first priority is to fill your need to create and anything else that comes along is extra. So if you see me doing some off-topic creative things in the future, you will understand why. In the long run, they will help me create for my business and for my customers and I think I will have better projects because of them. I think it is a win/win for everyone.

Last night I took the time to make something new. As I mentioned, I have so many lovely embroidery supplies that I can't wait to use. I have silk threads and ribbons, glass beads, and even metal threads for goldwork embroidery, which is something I have wanted to explore for the longest time. I dug into my arsenal and quickly drew up a small design and spent the evening 'playing'. Here is the result of last night's work:

Dishware Textile Sleeve Serveware Collar


I chose a scarab because I have always loved Egyptian art. One of my greatest memories I have is when my son took me to see the artifacts of King Tut when they were on display in Chicago several years ago. I was in complete awe at the designs and craftsmanship of those artists over 4000 years ago. The colors, materials, and designs were amazing.

Font Badge Dishware Jewellery Electric blue


The scarab is created on gold linen. The black thread for the head is cotton, the red spot on the back is rayon, the blue variegated back shell is silk. The beads are glass and the gold stripes and outline as well as the black jaw are metal threads. Being the first time that I used these goldwork supplies, it was a bit of a challenge. Most of the threads were purchased from Valdani (www.valdani.com) but the goldwork metal threads were purchased from The Crafty Attic (www.craftyattic.com) They have lovely metal threads, supplies and kits for goldwork, as well as many free educational videos for those interested in learning.

My scarab isn't completed yet, but I will work on him more tonight. I don't know what I will do with him, but I don't think it really matters. He has already served a purpose in getting me excited about designing again. I have two designs for the scroll saw that I want to work on today and a new painting design as well. I feel as if the floodgates are about to open.

Never underestimate the value of taking time for yourself. No matter how much you have on your plate, it is important to take some time to do something that will feed your soul and help you feel refreshed and emotionally rested. What will work for you is as individual as you are. No one can tell you what it is. You need to explore and find what your own personal formula will be. Once you find it, you will be amazed at how much it will affect your life in other ways. You will be happy you took the time to explore.

Electric blue Pattern Woolen Font Fashion accessory


I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday! Have a beautiful day and enjoy it to the fullest!
Good to see you enjoying your relaxation time. Have fun with it. ;)
 

Attachments

#12,942 ·
Some New Woodworking Patterns

As I began to post this morning, I realized that this is my 1800th blog post. When I started blogging several years ago, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I would be capable of writing that many entries! Just thinking of 1800 titles alone just blows my mind. But it has really been nice sharing my creative process with you all and I hope to continue to do so as long as you all want to read about it. I still feel there are several more chapters to write, and I hope you are right here with me.

Lately, I have been going through what I will call a 'lull' as far as writing. I have had several things on my mind here and in addition to new designs, there have been some other things that I have been sorting out. Because of that, I feel that it is best to back off a bit with blogging and not forcing the issue. I certainly will enjoy sharing what I have with you as I get things done. I love the feedback and motivation that sharing with you offers me. I am sure that it will help me stay on track and keep me as productive as I like to be. I hope to keep things fun and interesting this way.

I had a busy and productive weekend these past few days. I have been working on two new scroll sawing designs as well as some orders that I needed to cut. I really love having a designated shop to work out of and I feel that because of it, I am far more efficient and happy than I used to be. Having a place for everything makes a real difference, and being able to leave the room when cutting and just close the door behind me does as well. I still keep things neat, but this is certainly much better than at our old place.

I am kind of in the middle of working on two separate projects. Everything is cut at this point and for the most part sanded. Today I will be doing the finish work and then the photography and writing of the patterns. Here is a quick peek at what I am working on:

Brown White Textile Font Pattern


You can obviously see that there are quite a few angels here. They are made of three layers of wood and I am pretty happy with how they are turning out so far. I think they will make fun ornaments for not only Christmas but also for many other occasions. I hope everyone agrees.

I am also working on another pattern that will be fun for both the holidays as well as all year long. I will give you all a peek at that tomorrow.

Keith has spent the last week or two working on updating our catalogs. That is always a huge undertaking because we are constantly adding new designs and products. Both the Woodworking and Painting catalogs are fully updated now, and will be available soon. Please stay tuned for the announcement.

I suppose that is all I have to show you all today. There should be more photos tomorrow. Keith is also working on some new patterns as well, so hopefully we should have a site update soon. I will certainly share with you when things are ready.

Well - that should do it for today. I am off to do some finishing and writing instructions. I hope you all have a great day and a wonderful week ahead.

Happy Monday to you!

Material property Font Wood Pattern Art
 

Attachments

#12,943 ·
Some New Woodworking Patterns

As I began to post this morning, I realized that this is my 1800th blog post. When I started blogging several years ago, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I would be capable of writing that many entries! Just thinking of 1800 titles alone just blows my mind. But it has really been nice sharing my creative process with you all and I hope to continue to do so as long as you all want to read about it. I still feel there are several more chapters to write, and I hope you are right here with me.

Lately, I have been going through what I will call a 'lull' as far as writing. I have had several things on my mind here and in addition to new designs, there have been some other things that I have been sorting out. Because of that, I feel that it is best to back off a bit with blogging and not forcing the issue. I certainly will enjoy sharing what I have with you as I get things done. I love the feedback and motivation that sharing with you offers me. I am sure that it will help me stay on track and keep me as productive as I like to be. I hope to keep things fun and interesting this way.

I had a busy and productive weekend these past few days. I have been working on two new scroll sawing designs as well as some orders that I needed to cut. I really love having a designated shop to work out of and I feel that because of it, I am far more efficient and happy than I used to be. Having a place for everything makes a real difference, and being able to leave the room when cutting and just close the door behind me does as well. I still keep things neat, but this is certainly much better than at our old place.

I am kind of in the middle of working on two separate projects. Everything is cut at this point and for the most part sanded. Today I will be doing the finish work and then the photography and writing of the patterns. Here is a quick peek at what I am working on:

Brown White Textile Font Pattern


You can obviously see that there are quite a few angels here. They are made of three layers of wood and I am pretty happy with how they are turning out so far. I think they will make fun ornaments for not only Christmas but also for many other occasions. I hope everyone agrees.

I am also working on another pattern that will be fun for both the holidays as well as all year long. I will give you all a peek at that tomorrow.

Keith has spent the last week or two working on updating our catalogs. That is always a huge undertaking because we are constantly adding new designs and products. Both the Woodworking and Painting catalogs are fully updated now, and will be available soon. Please stay tuned for the announcement.

I suppose that is all I have to show you all today. There should be more photos tomorrow. Keith is also working on some new patterns as well, so hopefully we should have a site update soon. I will certainly share with you when things are ready.

Well - that should do it for today. I am off to do some finishing and writing instructions. I hope you all have a great day and a wonderful week ahead.

Happy Monday to you!

Material property Font Wood Pattern Art
I can imagine a lot of these angels appearing on trees this Yule season. I like the variety that we can already see in the photo. Nicely done Sheila.
 

Attachments

#12,949 ·
New Patterns and UPDATE Time!

It is hard to believe we are at the end of another week already. I have been trying my best to stay caught up with things, and for the most part, I think I am doing alright. I have long ago abandoned the idea having to do "x" number of designs per week/month/year. If I measured my productivity by those numbers alone, surely it would be depressing and I wouldn't be fair to myself. There is so much more that is involved in my day-to-day activity that takes a good deal of time.

I have learned that the way to be most productive and feel the best about things is to just keep doing the best I can and be happy with that. The reason I am mentioning that here is because I see so many of my friends and followers gearing up for the busy weeks ahead and I can already see the stresses they put upon themselves. Most of them are self-imposed and unnecessary, as they tend to set standards for themselves that are not only impossible to reach but that they wouldn't require of anyone else. We do these things to ourselves, it seems, and it tends to take the joy out of things for us. Many of us need to really take a look at ourselves and understand that much of the fanfare isn't what is needed or even appreciated. It is more often the simple things are the things we remember most during the holidays. The friendships. The company. The families.

Letting go of the unnecessary stresses can make things so much more enjoyable and fun. It is something to think about.

With that said, Keith and I both finished up some new woodworking designs for you to enjoy. Both of these patterns are fun, cute and relatively simple to cut out on the scroll saw and would make wonderful gifts for just about anyone on your list.

I'll start with Keith's pattern . . .

He had a wonderful idea to create these lovely "SLDK694 6 Simple Nested Ornaments" pattern:

Wood Font Art Creative arts Pattern


These are really cool and unique because when you cut ONE ornament, you wind up with THREE pieces:

Plant Christmas ornament Wood Tree Ornament


Not only do them make pretty ornaments in themselves, but they also make lovely tags and quick little last-minute gifts for just about anyone. They can be easily stack-cut to make several sets at once and can be decorated any way you choose. I think they are fun and easy and should be very popular.

For my own pattern, I created six layered angel ornaments (SLD536 Layered Lacey Angel Ornaments)

Art Font Jewellery Body jewelry Embellishment


I finished them in two ways (as usual!) - one using DecoArt Americana Gel Stains (as shown above) and one version using DecoArt Metallic Lustre acrylic waxes, as shown below:

Font T-shirt Pattern Circle Art


Both versions are "EASY-PEASY" to do with NO shading. I used some beautiful crystal hot-fix rhinestones from Rhinestone Canada to accent them and they came out just fabulous!

Pollinator Gold Font Circle Butterfly


I really love how they came out. They would also look great done in hardwood and left their natural color or even painted using regular acrylic paint. I just wanted to play with these colors to see how they would come out. I was not disappointed at all.

For the stained pieces, I also tried Folk Art Extreme Glitter in 2782 Hologram for a really neat effect. The shimmery wings look lovely in the natural wood tone and the effect is subtle, yet effective.

Hair Camera accessory Tin Rectangle Paint


I think that all together they make a pretty impressive set:

Sleeve Textile T-shirt Font Art


I am spending today writing the pattern packet and also writing the newsletter to send out to our subscribers. (You can subscribe to our newsletter HERE if you haven't already and are interested.) Besides these two patterns, we have updated our two catalogs and there are additional specials, sales and painting patterns added to the site. We hope to have something for everyone.

I hope to have everything done by the end of the day. All the product links should work by then. I then want to spend part of the weekend doing some much-needed things around the house here, as well as cut some orders. As always, it will be a busy time.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend yourself. I hope you are enjoying these cool and beautiful autumn days. Before long they will be behind us.

Have a great Friday.
 

Attachments

#12,950 ·
New Patterns and UPDATE Time!

It is hard to believe we are at the end of another week already. I have been trying my best to stay caught up with things, and for the most part, I think I am doing alright. I have long ago abandoned the idea having to do "x" number of designs per week/month/year. If I measured my productivity by those numbers alone, surely it would be depressing and I wouldn't be fair to myself. There is so much more that is involved in my day-to-day activity that takes a good deal of time.

I have learned that the way to be most productive and feel the best about things is to just keep doing the best I can and be happy with that. The reason I am mentioning that here is because I see so many of my friends and followers gearing up for the busy weeks ahead and I can already see the stresses they put upon themselves. Most of them are self-imposed and unnecessary, as they tend to set standards for themselves that are not only impossible to reach but that they wouldn't require of anyone else. We do these things to ourselves, it seems, and it tends to take the joy out of things for us. Many of us need to really take a look at ourselves and understand that much of the fanfare isn't what is needed or even appreciated. It is more often the simple things are the things we remember most during the holidays. The friendships. The company. The families.

Letting go of the unnecessary stresses can make things so much more enjoyable and fun. It is something to think about.

With that said, Keith and I both finished up some new woodworking designs for you to enjoy. Both of these patterns are fun, cute and relatively simple to cut out on the scroll saw and would make wonderful gifts for just about anyone on your list.

I'll start with Keith's pattern . . .

He had a wonderful idea to create these lovely "SLDK694 6 Simple Nested Ornaments" pattern:

Wood Font Art Creative arts Pattern


These are really cool and unique because when you cut ONE ornament, you wind up with THREE pieces:

Plant Christmas ornament Wood Tree Ornament


Not only do them make pretty ornaments in themselves, but they also make lovely tags and quick little last-minute gifts for just about anyone. They can be easily stack-cut to make several sets at once and can be decorated any way you choose. I think they are fun and easy and should be very popular.

For my own pattern, I created six layered angel ornaments (SLD536 Layered Lacey Angel Ornaments)

Art Font Jewellery Body jewelry Embellishment


I finished them in two ways (as usual!) - one using DecoArt Americana Gel Stains (as shown above) and one version using DecoArt Metallic Lustre acrylic waxes, as shown below:

Font T-shirt Pattern Circle Art


Both versions are "EASY-PEASY" to do with NO shading. I used some beautiful crystal hot-fix rhinestones from Rhinestone Canada to accent them and they came out just fabulous!

Pollinator Gold Font Circle Butterfly


I really love how they came out. They would also look great done in hardwood and left their natural color or even painted using regular acrylic paint. I just wanted to play with these colors to see how they would come out. I was not disappointed at all.

For the stained pieces, I also tried Folk Art Extreme Glitter in 2782 Hologram for a really neat effect. The shimmery wings look lovely in the natural wood tone and the effect is subtle, yet effective.

Hair Camera accessory Tin Rectangle Paint


I think that all together they make a pretty impressive set:

Sleeve Textile T-shirt Font Art


I am spending today writing the pattern packet and also writing the newsletter to send out to our subscribers. (You can subscribe to our newsletter HERE if you haven't already and are interested.) Besides these two patterns, we have updated our two catalogs and there are additional specials, sales and painting patterns added to the site. We hope to have something for everyone.

I hope to have everything done by the end of the day. All the product links should work by then. I then want to spend part of the weekend doing some much-needed things around the house here, as well as cut some orders. As always, it will be a busy time.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend yourself. I hope you are enjoying these cool and beautiful autumn days. Before long they will be behind us.

Have a great Friday.
What a cool idea of Keith's to have three ornaments in one. Very nice! and your angels are adorable. Love them.
 

Attachments

#12,952 ·
Getting Settled

I seem to have really slowed down with my blogs here these days. For those of you who are used to reading my posts every day, I promise you that I will get back to being here more often as soon as I can. It isn't that I am doing less (I don't believe) but that things have been spinning in different directions this year and I am sometimes unsure if my daily activities are 'blog worthy' or of interest to you all. Sometimes we just need to take a breath and regroup before we can forge ahead.

I had an incredibly busy weekend again. I spent a good deal of time in my shop cutting some wood orders on Saturday. I need to mention once again that I absolutely love working in my new shop. Every time I am there, I feel like a spoiled brat. I have ample space, it is clean and neat, and I have everything organized so that while I am working everything is where is should be. I even love my sound-cancelling headphones, which not only protect my ears but allow me to listen to my favorite music while working as well. I am truly thrilled with our setup and find a great deal of pleasure in filling my orders. It is not a chore at all.

It is quite an accomplishment considering that such a short time ago we were cutting from our kitchen. I think of the extra time to set up and clean and having to impose on Keith every time I filled orders and I am quite grateful that things have changed. It has been a lot of work to get here, but very much worth it. As I cut and sanded each piece, I couldn't help but feel a great sense of pride for what we do. We have come a long way.

I was going to finish my cutting on Sunday, but I decided to finish sewing the upstairs curtains instead. We have five windows on the front of our house upstairs (three in the upstairs washroom and two in our bedroom) and while that part of our home isn't used much, it was really (really!) time to finish making those curtains. I used the same faux linen fabric to make some semi-sheers that would still allow light in but offer us some privacy. I was fortunate that I had just enough fabric to complete them. Since we are not on that side of the upstairs very often, it was a low priority on the house projects but has been hanging over my head for several months. I finally decided on Sunday that I had waited long enough and it was time to "just do it". So I spent the day doing that.

By the time I finished, it was evening and I decided to work on my "Day 10" of the "12 Days of Christmas" project by Lynne Andrews. I wanted to do something that was fun and relaxing. It was a good weekend.

Yesterday I finished up my cutting and the orders will ship out today. I also have my next scroll saw project cut and I will be working on the assembly and other stuff on it today as well. You will have to come back to see what I am up to in the next few days.

I did also want to show some photos of a lovely package I received on Friday from my dear friend Charlotte. Charlotte and I have become friends on Facebook through our painting endeavors and it was a wonderful and delightful surprise to receive such a wonderful package of 'treats' for no reason whatsoever.

I opened the box and was thrilled to see three bags of "specialty" M & M's! (We don't get these here in Canada.)

Food Ingredient Cuisine Font Sweetness


She sent peanut butter flavored, coffee, and even dark chocolate - all my favorites. It is wonderful to have friends who sneak up on you with treats like this. It sure makes me feel loved! But that wasn't all . . .

Textile Serveware Ornament Creative arts Wood


She also made this beautiful plate for me. She knows that I just ADORE her cute sheep. They always put a smile on my face and Charlotte always spreads words of love and hope. I just loved this!

And then there was this tiny package within the package . . .

Hand Finger Wood Art Creative arts


I wondered what it could be?

It was a little froggy domino! He immediately found a place on my message board next to my desk. . .

Green Blue Textile Yellow Art


I will smile and think of Charlotte every time I see it.

What a great treat!

I found the perfect spot for the sheep plate, too! It fit perfectly right on the wall in my studio, where I spend most of my time. I love these shelving units and think that was one of the best decorating ideas that I had for my space here. It is so easy to change my displays of all the different art pieces that I made or was gifted and it keeps the room fluid and exciting.

Green Wood Shelf Shelving Wall


I don't have to keep putting holes in the walls and can display just about anything. (I got my set from Amazon at a very reasonable cost!)

By the time I was done with everything, it was time for dinner. After that, I decided to 'play' with some of my wonderful supplies. It seems that I have so many beautiful art supplies and I take very little time out to enjoy them if I am not doing something that is 'work related'. It is about time that I start USING the wonderful supplies I have and enjoying them. Are there any of you out there with this problem? We see stuff we love and get all the supplies and there they sit neatly tucked away somewhere . . . One of my goals is to change that!

I decided to start another pastel drawing using my Conte a Paris pastel sticks and CarbOthello pastel pencils. I found my reference photo and sketched everything out. I began the background using the Conte a Paris sticks:

Brown Rectangle Wood Art Tints and shades


At this point, it looks like a mess, but I want you all to see the steps it takes to get to a good point. . .

By the end of the evening, the background was pretty much based in and I began working in earnest on the left side of the branch:

Blue Rectangle Paint Tints and shades Art


You can see the left end of the branch coming together. It isn't there yet, but it is a start. It requires a bit of patience, but it is fun and relaxing. I will certainly keep you posted on the progress.

Today's agenda consists of working on my new scrolling project(s). I will see where everything winds up this evening, but I hope to work on my 12 days or this drawing. We just need to see how the day goes.

I thank those of you who haven't given up on me. For those who are new to reading, rest assured that there are lots of fun projects in the future for me to share. Having new ideas is never a problem with me. It is just that lately, I have been a bit overwhelmed by 'life' in general and getting organized in our new environment. Once I am settled in (and I am closer to that every day!) nothing will stop me.

It is another overcast and cool autumn day here for me. We certainly had our share of clouds lately But that is part of autumn, I suppose, and I don't really mind it at all. There are a lot of great days ahead.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,953 ·
Getting Settled

I seem to have really slowed down with my blogs here these days. For those of you who are used to reading my posts every day, I promise you that I will get back to being here more often as soon as I can. It isn't that I am doing less (I don't believe) but that things have been spinning in different directions this year and I am sometimes unsure if my daily activities are 'blog worthy' or of interest to you all. Sometimes we just need to take a breath and regroup before we can forge ahead.

I had an incredibly busy weekend again. I spent a good deal of time in my shop cutting some wood orders on Saturday. I need to mention once again that I absolutely love working in my new shop. Every time I am there, I feel like a spoiled brat. I have ample space, it is clean and neat, and I have everything organized so that while I am working everything is where is should be. I even love my sound-cancelling headphones, which not only protect my ears but allow me to listen to my favorite music while working as well. I am truly thrilled with our setup and find a great deal of pleasure in filling my orders. It is not a chore at all.

It is quite an accomplishment considering that such a short time ago we were cutting from our kitchen. I think of the extra time to set up and clean and having to impose on Keith every time I filled orders and I am quite grateful that things have changed. It has been a lot of work to get here, but very much worth it. As I cut and sanded each piece, I couldn't help but feel a great sense of pride for what we do. We have come a long way.

I was going to finish my cutting on Sunday, but I decided to finish sewing the upstairs curtains instead. We have five windows on the front of our house upstairs (three in the upstairs washroom and two in our bedroom) and while that part of our home isn't used much, it was really (really!) time to finish making those curtains. I used the same faux linen fabric to make some semi-sheers that would still allow light in but offer us some privacy. I was fortunate that I had just enough fabric to complete them. Since we are not on that side of the upstairs very often, it was a low priority on the house projects but has been hanging over my head for several months. I finally decided on Sunday that I had waited long enough and it was time to "just do it". So I spent the day doing that.

By the time I finished, it was evening and I decided to work on my "Day 10" of the "12 Days of Christmas" project by Lynne Andrews. I wanted to do something that was fun and relaxing. It was a good weekend.

Yesterday I finished up my cutting and the orders will ship out today. I also have my next scroll saw project cut and I will be working on the assembly and other stuff on it today as well. You will have to come back to see what I am up to in the next few days.

I did also want to show some photos of a lovely package I received on Friday from my dear friend Charlotte. Charlotte and I have become friends on Facebook through our painting endeavors and it was a wonderful and delightful surprise to receive such a wonderful package of 'treats' for no reason whatsoever.

I opened the box and was thrilled to see three bags of "specialty" M & M's! (We don't get these here in Canada.)

Food Ingredient Cuisine Font Sweetness


She sent peanut butter flavored, coffee, and even dark chocolate - all my favorites. It is wonderful to have friends who sneak up on you with treats like this. It sure makes me feel loved! But that wasn't all . . .

Textile Serveware Ornament Creative arts Wood


She also made this beautiful plate for me. She knows that I just ADORE her cute sheep. They always put a smile on my face and Charlotte always spreads words of love and hope. I just loved this!

And then there was this tiny package within the package . . .

Hand Finger Wood Art Creative arts


I wondered what it could be?

It was a little froggy domino! He immediately found a place on my message board next to my desk. . .

Green Blue Textile Yellow Art


I will smile and think of Charlotte every time I see it.

What a great treat!

I found the perfect spot for the sheep plate, too! It fit perfectly right on the wall in my studio, where I spend most of my time. I love these shelving units and think that was one of the best decorating ideas that I had for my space here. It is so easy to change my displays of all the different art pieces that I made or was gifted and it keeps the room fluid and exciting.

Green Wood Shelf Shelving Wall


I don't have to keep putting holes in the walls and can display just about anything. (I got my set from Amazon at a very reasonable cost!)

By the time I was done with everything, it was time for dinner. After that, I decided to 'play' with some of my wonderful supplies. It seems that I have so many beautiful art supplies and I take very little time out to enjoy them if I am not doing something that is 'work related'. It is about time that I start USING the wonderful supplies I have and enjoying them. Are there any of you out there with this problem? We see stuff we love and get all the supplies and there they sit neatly tucked away somewhere . . . One of my goals is to change that!

I decided to start another pastel drawing using my Conte a Paris pastel sticks and CarbOthello pastel pencils. I found my reference photo and sketched everything out. I began the background using the Conte a Paris sticks:

Brown Rectangle Wood Art Tints and shades


At this point, it looks like a mess, but I want you all to see the steps it takes to get to a good point. . .

By the end of the evening, the background was pretty much based in and I began working in earnest on the left side of the branch:

Blue Rectangle Paint Tints and shades Art


You can see the left end of the branch coming together. It isn't there yet, but it is a start. It requires a bit of patience, but it is fun and relaxing. I will certainly keep you posted on the progress.

Today's agenda consists of working on my new scrolling project(s). I will see where everything winds up this evening, but I hope to work on my 12 days or this drawing. We just need to see how the day goes.

I thank those of you who haven't given up on me. For those who are new to reading, rest assured that there are lots of fun projects in the future for me to share. Having new ideas is never a problem with me. It is just that lately, I have been a bit overwhelmed by 'life' in general and getting organized in our new environment. Once I am settled in (and I am closer to that every day!) nothing will stop me.

It is another overcast and cool autumn day here for me. We certainly had our share of clouds lately But that is part of autumn, I suppose, and I don't really mind it at all. There are a lot of great days ahead.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
I'm one of those that enjoys your blog. Don't feel that you have to do it daily once you do that it becomes a job and then the quality goes down. Write when you feel like it. and remember a little absence makes the heart grow fonder.
 

Attachments

#12,959 ·
"Just Another Day" here in Canada . . .

There are two times during the year that seem to affect me the most regarding living here in Canada. For those of you who may not know, I was born and raised in the United States. More specifically, in the Chicago area. I lived the first 42 years of my life there and I have many ties and fond memories. About 12 years ago, I decided it was time for a change and the time was just right for me to move here to Nova Scotia. I am not going to go into details here, as it is a long story, but overall, I am very happy and enjoy having two countries to call 'home'. After all, we are all North Americans, aren't we?

For the most part, I am very happy here. After some rough patches, I have settled into a good life that is filled with love, creativity, and peace. It doesn't mean that I don't sometimes miss my old neighborhood, as both of my grown children and their families are there. But I seem to feel it more both on the 4th of July (America's Independence Day) and on Thanksgiving. It is on those two days that I am most aware that I am no longer in my home country.

For the 4th of July, we usually have a Canada Day celebration around that time. It isn't always on the same day, but it is close. Close enough to 'feel' that I am celebrating for both countries. It kind of melds together.

For Thanksgiving, though, it is a different story. Here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in early October. That is something I never realized until I moved here. The first year when someone mentioned Thanksgiving being then, I thought that they had too much Captain Morgan. It seemed so out of place.

But it came and it went that first year and it felt incredibly odd to me. Oh - I was up for a good meal, for sure. I celebrated the Canadian Thanksgiving with enthusiasm that first year. But when it really hit me hard was at the end of November. That last Thursday of the month came and went just like any other Thursday. No parade. No football. No turkey. Just business as usual.

I felt incredibly homesick.

Since that first year, I decided to do something about it. Since I was fortunate enough to call two countries home, there was no reason in the world that I couldn't make my own celebration late in November and have my own (second) Thanksgiving here myself. And that I did.

Each year, on the last Thursday of November, I make my own turkey with the trimmings and celebrate. I have done this with a house full of my Canadian friends and I have done it with only me and my kitties, and just about every combination in between. After all - with all I have to be grateful for, it didn't seem inappropriate in the least. Today is no exception.

I am taking this day to reflect on all the good in my life. It will be a quiet day with just Keith, myself and the cats. Keith's mom is home from the hospital, but recovering nicely at home. We are grateful for that. I have a small turkey and will make that with stuffing, cranberries and green bean casserole (one of my favorites!) and it will be a wonderful and low-key day for me and Keith. I will get some drawing in, too, I think and I will also work on my sloth pastel drawing.

Here is the progress I made since last time.

Organism Painting Rectangle Art Wood


The branch was a beast to get looking right, but I think I have it where I want it. I am good on the eye, but the face is nowhere near done. These are just the under-layers. You can see the comparison to the (somewhat crappy) reference photo I have:

Art paint Paint Wood Organism Rectangle


It is coming . . .

I hope I have a bit of time to work on it later. But drawing new designs will come first (along with cooking, of course!)

I also wanted to mention that Keith has two new pattern designs available on our site. His first one is SLDK696 - "Do All Things Through Christ" word art (simple version.)

Brown Wood Rectangle Font Tints and shades


The second is a more detailed version of the same phrase, with two layout options. (SLDK695 - I Can Do All Things Through Christ)

Brown Wood Font Rectangle Art


Both are really nice, I think. :)

As I look around me while I am writing. I can't help but be thankful. We live in a nice, warm and safe home, have good friends, and wonderful families. What more could I ask for?

My three companions are happy as well. There is Coco:

Cat Luggage and bags Bag Felidae Comfort


Richard on the daybed (with his "Kitty", of course):

Toy Comfort Fawn Companion dog Dog breed


And my 'Executive Director of Operations' - Pancakes:

Furniture Table Computer Comfort Chair


As you can see, he still has possession of my nice chair. It has been over a month now and I think getting it back is a lost cause. Oh well - as long as he is happy. :)

I wish all of you and your families a wonderful and healthy Thanksgiving. Even though it is "just another day", I don't think I need a specific "day" to be grateful, as I truly am grateful every single day of my life. I know I am very, very fortunate.

Enjoy your day - no matter where you live.

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,960 ·
"Just Another Day" here in Canada . . .

There are two times during the year that seem to affect me the most regarding living here in Canada. For those of you who may not know, I was born and raised in the United States. More specifically, in the Chicago area. I lived the first 42 years of my life there and I have many ties and fond memories. About 12 years ago, I decided it was time for a change and the time was just right for me to move here to Nova Scotia. I am not going to go into details here, as it is a long story, but overall, I am very happy and enjoy having two countries to call 'home'. After all, we are all North Americans, aren't we?

For the most part, I am very happy here. After some rough patches, I have settled into a good life that is filled with love, creativity, and peace. It doesn't mean that I don't sometimes miss my old neighborhood, as both of my grown children and their families are there. But I seem to feel it more both on the 4th of July (America's Independence Day) and on Thanksgiving. It is on those two days that I am most aware that I am no longer in my home country.

For the 4th of July, we usually have a Canada Day celebration around that time. It isn't always on the same day, but it is close. Close enough to 'feel' that I am celebrating for both countries. It kind of melds together.

For Thanksgiving, though, it is a different story. Here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in early October. That is something I never realized until I moved here. The first year when someone mentioned Thanksgiving being then, I thought that they had too much Captain Morgan. It seemed so out of place.

But it came and it went that first year and it felt incredibly odd to me. Oh - I was up for a good meal, for sure. I celebrated the Canadian Thanksgiving with enthusiasm that first year. But when it really hit me hard was at the end of November. That last Thursday of the month came and went just like any other Thursday. No parade. No football. No turkey. Just business as usual.

I felt incredibly homesick.

Since that first year, I decided to do something about it. Since I was fortunate enough to call two countries home, there was no reason in the world that I couldn't make my own celebration late in November and have my own (second) Thanksgiving here myself. And that I did.

Each year, on the last Thursday of November, I make my own turkey with the trimmings and celebrate. I have done this with a house full of my Canadian friends and I have done it with only me and my kitties, and just about every combination in between. After all - with all I have to be grateful for, it didn't seem inappropriate in the least. Today is no exception.

I am taking this day to reflect on all the good in my life. It will be a quiet day with just Keith, myself and the cats. Keith's mom is home from the hospital, but recovering nicely at home. We are grateful for that. I have a small turkey and will make that with stuffing, cranberries and green bean casserole (one of my favorites!) and it will be a wonderful and low-key day for me and Keith. I will get some drawing in, too, I think and I will also work on my sloth pastel drawing.

Here is the progress I made since last time.

Organism Painting Rectangle Art Wood


The branch was a beast to get looking right, but I think I have it where I want it. I am good on the eye, but the face is nowhere near done. These are just the under-layers. You can see the comparison to the (somewhat crappy) reference photo I have:

Art paint Paint Wood Organism Rectangle


It is coming . . .

I hope I have a bit of time to work on it later. But drawing new designs will come first (along with cooking, of course!)

I also wanted to mention that Keith has two new pattern designs available on our site. His first one is SLDK696 - "Do All Things Through Christ" word art (simple version.)

Brown Wood Rectangle Font Tints and shades


The second is a more detailed version of the same phrase, with two layout options. (SLDK695 - I Can Do All Things Through Christ)

Brown Wood Font Rectangle Art


Both are really nice, I think. :)

As I look around me while I am writing. I can't help but be thankful. We live in a nice, warm and safe home, have good friends, and wonderful families. What more could I ask for?

My three companions are happy as well. There is Coco:

Cat Luggage and bags Bag Felidae Comfort


Richard on the daybed (with his "Kitty", of course):

Toy Comfort Fawn Companion dog Dog breed


And my 'Executive Director of Operations' - Pancakes:

Furniture Table Computer Comfort Chair


As you can see, he still has possession of my nice chair. It has been over a month now and I think getting it back is a lost cause. Oh well - as long as he is happy. :)

I wish all of you and your families a wonderful and healthy Thanksgiving. Even though it is "just another day", I don't think I need a specific "day" to be grateful, as I truly am grateful every single day of my life. I know I am very, very fortunate.

Enjoy your day - no matter where you live.

Happy Thursday to you all!
Ever since you mentioned American Thanksgiving I was planning to do something special for my wife as she is American but it has just snuck up on me with no plans yet. Maybe I can plan a nice supper, baked potatoes etc. We met in Berrien Springs MI., not that far from Chicago, at school. Been married since 1970. Enjoy your post when I have time, been busy in the shop.
P.S. The wild cat saga. I held the food dish and managed to have it come and eat out while I was still holding it, then after awhile I would stick out my finger and touch the top of its head, eventually progressing to rub the top of its head and behind the ears. Now lately I have been able to pet it with the food in front of it. He pushes against my hand and seem to enjoy it. Still can't get close to it but progress has been made.
Have a nice Thanksgiving, I almost think we could be thankful that we don't live in the US.
 

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#12,968 ·
The Value of Online Classes - My Sloth Progress

I am slowly getting to the finish line with my sloth. I think that is quite appropriate, given that I am drawing . . . well . . . a sloth! They don't do anything quickly, now do they?

Actually, I think this is going much quicker than I had anticipated. So far this has only taken three evenings to reach this point: the first for the background, the second for the branch and the beginning of the eye, and the third for the head. I believe it will only take one more session to be pretty much 'done'. I will then leave it for a bit and come back to it and see what to adjust. I am sure I will find something.

I always thought that working with pastels would be a chalky mess. I remember one day when my daughter Danielle was young, I allowed her to use my soft pastels to 'color'. She was about six or seven years old and we put an old shower curtain on the floor and I was glad I did. There was certainly a lot of pigmented dust everywhere. I can honestly say that I haven't touched them since. Perhaps the vision of the mess in my mind deterred me, or perhaps maybe it was because the style of art that I enjoy creating the most is photo-realistic. After all - how could you get realism from things like chalk and colored pencils?

Oh - but times have changed!

Because of amazing artists such as Lisa Clough of Lachri fine Art and Jason Morgan of Jason Morgan Wildlife Art, entire new worlds of creating have opened up for me.I saw some of Lisa's work on Pinterest, where half the picture was colored and the other half was not and I stared in disbelief. Certainly, I thought it was a photograph! To find out that she used colored pencils to create her paintings just about blew my mind. Add to that, her openness and willingness to teach her method (much without cost to us) really was amazing. I soon became a 'groupie' and began watching her videos and studying her methods in my 'spare time'. (And you all thought I was slacking!) I even had quite a large set of colored pencils to get me started, so all I needed to do was fill in some supplies, right? Little did I know it would take me on another wonderful path of art discovery.

Through Lisa, I became familiar with Jason Morgan and his work. Jason is also a multi-talented artist who's main focus is wildlife. He is also very giving and generous in his sharing of his talents and I became a follower of his Patreon page as well as Lisa's. For those who many not know, Patreon is a subscription where you pay a small amount (that YOU decide) each month to help support your favorite artist. Depending on the level of support, you receive access to detailed instructional videos, reference photos, and even critiques. It is a great way to advance your own abilities while helping these great art "teachers" as well. I hope that some of you consider it, as the money I pledge to them has gone much further in improving my skills than just about anything that I have invested in. (My other favorite subscription is from Mary Kinslan Gibilisco's Net Subscription Classes. She is another amazing teacher!)

In any case, I wanted to update you with the progress of my sloth. After three sessions here is where he stands (or rather HANGS!):

Computer Computer keyboard Personal computer Drinkware Coffee cup


So far, I am not unhappy with him. :) He is coming together nicely and I ham having a great time playing with his fur. I am pleased with his eye and while the nose needs a bit more work, it is getting there:

Wood Fawn Snout Liver Terrestrial animal


His nose is quite tricky. It is a fleshy, light brown, yellowish nose with a texture that is hairless, but not really smooth. It is buried in the shadow for the most part on my reference photo, and I may wind up shading the left side of it a bit more before the drawing is completed. I will go over everything once I finish the arms and adjust the colors finally then.

I also want to make sure that the hairs are not too 'neat'. I noticed that in much of the wildlife art is see, the hairs are too uniform and not 'wild' enough. After all - we are depicting animals. They seldom look completely neat and tidy. My slot is a bit tidy right now, but these are still not the final hairs that will be on top. I can mess them up a bit when I complete things next time.

Wood Fawn Snout Liver Terrestrial animal


Overall, I am pleased. For this being my attempt at this media,I am pretty happy. Fortunately for me, the basic principles of drawing, painting and art are pretty global, no matter which media you are working in. It feels good though to pull out these supplies that I have had for over 20 years and make use of them.

And the dust?? I would say that it is pretty much 'non-existant'. Between the Pastelmat paper, which 'grabs' the pastels and my light style of drawing, I can honestly say that I have done all of this work in my 'white studio' without any issue. I think I put a white paper towel under the drawing on my desk when I did the initial background. I used the larger Conte a Paris crayons for that and there was a little more dust. But the details on the branch and sloth both were done with the CarbOthello Pastel pencils and I have hardly had to even sharpen them. With the way I draw, they will last me a good, long time.

I hope you enjoy seeing the progress on these. In between I was drawing new scroll saw patterns. I didn't actually start on this piece until nearly 9pm last night, and I probably put only about three hours in since the last pictures. As I said - it is a quick process as the pastels cover very quickly. I watched some great things on Netflix as I drew and had a great night after a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.

Thank you all who have sent me encouraging messages and comments. I really feel that being part of my online communities have made me a better artist and have enriched my life. I am very happy to be here.

Have a wonderful Friday.
 

Attachments

#12,969 ·
The Value of Online Classes - My Sloth Progress

I am slowly getting to the finish line with my sloth. I think that is quite appropriate, given that I am drawing . . . well . . . a sloth! They don't do anything quickly, now do they?

Actually, I think this is going much quicker than I had anticipated. So far this has only taken three evenings to reach this point: the first for the background, the second for the branch and the beginning of the eye, and the third for the head. I believe it will only take one more session to be pretty much 'done'. I will then leave it for a bit and come back to it and see what to adjust. I am sure I will find something.

I always thought that working with pastels would be a chalky mess. I remember one day when my daughter Danielle was young, I allowed her to use my soft pastels to 'color'. She was about six or seven years old and we put an old shower curtain on the floor and I was glad I did. There was certainly a lot of pigmented dust everywhere. I can honestly say that I haven't touched them since. Perhaps the vision of the mess in my mind deterred me, or perhaps maybe it was because the style of art that I enjoy creating the most is photo-realistic. After all - how could you get realism from things like chalk and colored pencils?

Oh - but times have changed!

Because of amazing artists such as Lisa Clough of Lachri fine Art and Jason Morgan of Jason Morgan Wildlife Art, entire new worlds of creating have opened up for me.I saw some of Lisa's work on Pinterest, where half the picture was colored and the other half was not and I stared in disbelief. Certainly, I thought it was a photograph! To find out that she used colored pencils to create her paintings just about blew my mind. Add to that, her openness and willingness to teach her method (much without cost to us) really was amazing. I soon became a 'groupie' and began watching her videos and studying her methods in my 'spare time'. (And you all thought I was slacking!) I even had quite a large set of colored pencils to get me started, so all I needed to do was fill in some supplies, right? Little did I know it would take me on another wonderful path of art discovery.

Through Lisa, I became familiar with Jason Morgan and his work. Jason is also a multi-talented artist who's main focus is wildlife. He is also very giving and generous in his sharing of his talents and I became a follower of his Patreon page as well as Lisa's. For those who many not know, Patreon is a subscription where you pay a small amount (that YOU decide) each month to help support your favorite artist. Depending on the level of support, you receive access to detailed instructional videos, reference photos, and even critiques. It is a great way to advance your own abilities while helping these great art "teachers" as well. I hope that some of you consider it, as the money I pledge to them has gone much further in improving my skills than just about anything that I have invested in. (My other favorite subscription is from Mary Kinslan Gibilisco's Net Subscription Classes. She is another amazing teacher!)

In any case, I wanted to update you with the progress of my sloth. After three sessions here is where he stands (or rather HANGS!):

Computer Computer keyboard Personal computer Drinkware Coffee cup


So far, I am not unhappy with him. :) He is coming together nicely and I ham having a great time playing with his fur. I am pleased with his eye and while the nose needs a bit more work, it is getting there:

Wood Fawn Snout Liver Terrestrial animal


His nose is quite tricky. It is a fleshy, light brown, yellowish nose with a texture that is hairless, but not really smooth. It is buried in the shadow for the most part on my reference photo, and I may wind up shading the left side of it a bit more before the drawing is completed. I will go over everything once I finish the arms and adjust the colors finally then.

I also want to make sure that the hairs are not too 'neat'. I noticed that in much of the wildlife art is see, the hairs are too uniform and not 'wild' enough. After all - we are depicting animals. They seldom look completely neat and tidy. My slot is a bit tidy right now, but these are still not the final hairs that will be on top. I can mess them up a bit when I complete things next time.

Wood Fawn Snout Liver Terrestrial animal


Overall, I am pleased. For this being my attempt at this media,I am pretty happy. Fortunately for me, the basic principles of drawing, painting and art are pretty global, no matter which media you are working in. It feels good though to pull out these supplies that I have had for over 20 years and make use of them.

And the dust?? I would say that it is pretty much 'non-existant'. Between the Pastelmat paper, which 'grabs' the pastels and my light style of drawing, I can honestly say that I have done all of this work in my 'white studio' without any issue. I think I put a white paper towel under the drawing on my desk when I did the initial background. I used the larger Conte a Paris crayons for that and there was a little more dust. But the details on the branch and sloth both were done with the CarbOthello Pastel pencils and I have hardly had to even sharpen them. With the way I draw, they will last me a good, long time.

I hope you enjoy seeing the progress on these. In between I was drawing new scroll saw patterns. I didn't actually start on this piece until nearly 9pm last night, and I probably put only about three hours in since the last pictures. As I said - it is a quick process as the pastels cover very quickly. I watched some great things on Netflix as I drew and had a great night after a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.

Thank you all who have sent me encouraging messages and comments. I really feel that being part of my online communities have made me a better artist and have enriched my life. I am very happy to be here.

Have a wonderful Friday.
WOW, WOW! You are certainly an excellent accomplished artist. You are a master of the many kinds of very difficult art. Thanks for sharing, I do so enjoy both yours and Keith's works.
 

Attachments

#12,979 ·
The "Bunny Blunder"

I'll start this post off by mentioning that it was a wonderful and productive weekend. After all the nice comments on my sloth picture, I was happy and very encouraged to continue in some of the directions that I have been heading. I am actually quite humbled by the kind comments I received from everyone, and it just goes to show the power of kind words and encouragement. I really felt like an "artist." (That may seem basic, but any artist knows that it is certainly not a given.)

I had quite a long 'to do' list of what I wanted to accomplish this weekend. Since the USA Thanksgiving was over, it was high time that I began thinking of decorating for the upcoming holiday season. After all - it would come and go quickly, as all of these past months have done. For that I was sure.

But first, I had some orders to cut. Lately, I work in my shop probably two days of the week. I try to get cuttings done as quickly as they are ordered, and with each session, I add in a few extra pieces to build my stock. It really helps when things are busy. (Which is always, lately!)

I realized that I haven't shown my shop lately. (Actually - I have been pretty bad with showing any progress I have made with the house here. I promise to do better in the future!) I really, really LOVE going up there to work. What a far cry it is from having to cut my pieces in my small kitchen as I did at our old place! While we made it work for nearly eight years, it was definitely time to find a better way. And that we did!

I feel like a queen in my new workplace!

Table Cabinetry Furniture Building Drawer


It is big, bright and yes - it is always that CLEAN. When I showed the photos on Facebook, a lot of people mentioned that it looked "too clean" and should be a mess if it is functional.

"Why?", I ask?? How would that make it better?

You can see that it is all hard surfaces - wood floors, closed cabinets, etc. - so that it is very easy to vacuum the dust after each session of work. It takes a few minutes and then next time I come into work, it is a pleasant, clean and most importantly SAFE environment. There is nothing at all wrong with that.

As you can see, the only tools that I use in the shop are the scroll saw, drill press, and the small router. Since I do smaller, project work and I am not building furniture, it is more than adequate for my purposes. We have a small table saw at Keith's mom's that we use in the basement to cut our wood to size. We don't have a planer or a jointer, and we have our friend Bernie or the lumber mill do that part for us. It may not be a full shop, but it is functional for our own purposes and works well for us.

I also took a photo when I was about midway through the work I was cutting:

Cabinetry Home appliance Wood Computer desk Kitchen


Since the shop-vac is right next to me, it is easy to just turn it on and clean up the dust every half hour or so and keep ahead of it. That way I don't track it all over the house if I leave to go downstairs and it really does keep everything pretty clean. There is usually a light layer of dust on the floor and the nearby tools and tool box, but a quick vacuum of those surfaces keeps everything clean and fresh. It is easy, fast, and as I mentioned, keeps things safe. Also - putting things away after I use them in the proper place means that I am not spending time looking for things when I could be working. People often ask how I accomplish so much in my day, and I am certain it is because I take the time to stay organized. No - I am not perfect, but in general, putting things where they belong when I am done with them is a habit and works for me. After all - wouldn't you rather walk into a shop like this to start a large job than a MESS? I know it makes me happy! Add in my cordless headphones and I am definitely in my 'happy place'!

After finishing cutting on Saturday, I spend Sunday doing a variety of things. I did put away all of my autumn-themed decorations and I brought up the boxes of Christmas stuff. My pretty Mums that were planted outside had all died by now, so I went out there and pulled them all up out of the front garden. I began decorating a little bit (there will be blogs about that in the next several days) but I realized that I really don't have as much as I would like. Now that we are in a large home, we have so much more space to fill to make things look 'festive'. Since we were in a small place before, I had downsized quite a bit. Now I look around and realize just how many open, blank walls and spaces I have to fill. I had better get busy!

I decided to decorate little by little, as I am still in the process of deciding where everything would go. I wanted to spend some time painting, as I have a deadline due at the end of the week for a project at ToleTown and while I had it clear in my head, I needed to get moving on it.

It began nice enough, and I got the background of the piece in nicely. But as I started doing the main subject (a bunny) I found myself feeling 'lost'. I struggled with him for an hour or so and eventually he became quite the mess:

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Fawn Art Snout


I wound um re-base coating his head as shown above. Not very pretty is he??

So why am I showing you my 'blunder'?

After the weekend of praise over my sloth, I want to show you all that it isn't always a given that things go smoothly. As an artist, I find that each project has its' challenges. It is sometimes difficult for me to switch back and forth from the kind of art that is intended to be what I call 'fine art' and the kind of art that is meant to be reproduced and taught to others. Those of you who do both kinds of art know that there is quite a distinction between the two. Apparently, the gears in my head hadn't switched back from one phase to the other. After making a mess of the bunny, I thought it best to let it alone for the night and come back to it today. I hope things go better.

My point is that we shouldn't be discouraged by our failures. I thought a bit about where I went wrong with the bunny and I think I can do things differently and salvage him and make him 'teachable' in the process. I will be making a video to go with this class, so you will certainly all see the process that I will settle on. I am determined to make him work. :)

So that is what is on today's agenda along with the usual tasks. I am sure it will be a full day and hopefully it will have a good outcome for the bunny project. We will just have to see . . .

Happy Monday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,980 ·
The "Bunny Blunder"

I'll start this post off by mentioning that it was a wonderful and productive weekend. After all the nice comments on my sloth picture, I was happy and very encouraged to continue in some of the directions that I have been heading. I am actually quite humbled by the kind comments I received from everyone, and it just goes to show the power of kind words and encouragement. I really felt like an "artist." (That may seem basic, but any artist knows that it is certainly not a given.)

I had quite a long 'to do' list of what I wanted to accomplish this weekend. Since the USA Thanksgiving was over, it was high time that I began thinking of decorating for the upcoming holiday season. After all - it would come and go quickly, as all of these past months have done. For that I was sure.

But first, I had some orders to cut. Lately, I work in my shop probably two days of the week. I try to get cuttings done as quickly as they are ordered, and with each session, I add in a few extra pieces to build my stock. It really helps when things are busy. (Which is always, lately!)

I realized that I haven't shown my shop lately. (Actually - I have been pretty bad with showing any progress I have made with the house here. I promise to do better in the future!) I really, really LOVE going up there to work. What a far cry it is from having to cut my pieces in my small kitchen as I did at our old place! While we made it work for nearly eight years, it was definitely time to find a better way. And that we did!

I feel like a queen in my new workplace!

Table Cabinetry Furniture Building Drawer


It is big, bright and yes - it is always that CLEAN. When I showed the photos on Facebook, a lot of people mentioned that it looked "too clean" and should be a mess if it is functional.

"Why?", I ask?? How would that make it better?

You can see that it is all hard surfaces - wood floors, closed cabinets, etc. - so that it is very easy to vacuum the dust after each session of work. It takes a few minutes and then next time I come into work, it is a pleasant, clean and most importantly SAFE environment. There is nothing at all wrong with that.

As you can see, the only tools that I use in the shop are the scroll saw, drill press, and the small router. Since I do smaller, project work and I am not building furniture, it is more than adequate for my purposes. We have a small table saw at Keith's mom's that we use in the basement to cut our wood to size. We don't have a planer or a jointer, and we have our friend Bernie or the lumber mill do that part for us. It may not be a full shop, but it is functional for our own purposes and works well for us.

I also took a photo when I was about midway through the work I was cutting:

Cabinetry Home appliance Wood Computer desk Kitchen


Since the shop-vac is right next to me, it is easy to just turn it on and clean up the dust every half hour or so and keep ahead of it. That way I don't track it all over the house if I leave to go downstairs and it really does keep everything pretty clean. There is usually a light layer of dust on the floor and the nearby tools and tool box, but a quick vacuum of those surfaces keeps everything clean and fresh. It is easy, fast, and as I mentioned, keeps things safe. Also - putting things away after I use them in the proper place means that I am not spending time looking for things when I could be working. People often ask how I accomplish so much in my day, and I am certain it is because I take the time to stay organized. No - I am not perfect, but in general, putting things where they belong when I am done with them is a habit and works for me. After all - wouldn't you rather walk into a shop like this to start a large job than a MESS? I know it makes me happy! Add in my cordless headphones and I am definitely in my 'happy place'!

After finishing cutting on Saturday, I spend Sunday doing a variety of things. I did put away all of my autumn-themed decorations and I brought up the boxes of Christmas stuff. My pretty Mums that were planted outside had all died by now, so I went out there and pulled them all up out of the front garden. I began decorating a little bit (there will be blogs about that in the next several days) but I realized that I really don't have as much as I would like. Now that we are in a large home, we have so much more space to fill to make things look 'festive'. Since we were in a small place before, I had downsized quite a bit. Now I look around and realize just how many open, blank walls and spaces I have to fill. I had better get busy!

I decided to decorate little by little, as I am still in the process of deciding where everything would go. I wanted to spend some time painting, as I have a deadline due at the end of the week for a project at ToleTown and while I had it clear in my head, I needed to get moving on it.

It began nice enough, and I got the background of the piece in nicely. But as I started doing the main subject (a bunny) I found myself feeling 'lost'. I struggled with him for an hour or so and eventually he became quite the mess:

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Fawn Art Snout


I wound um re-base coating his head as shown above. Not very pretty is he??

So why am I showing you my 'blunder'?

After the weekend of praise over my sloth, I want to show you all that it isn't always a given that things go smoothly. As an artist, I find that each project has its' challenges. It is sometimes difficult for me to switch back and forth from the kind of art that is intended to be what I call 'fine art' and the kind of art that is meant to be reproduced and taught to others. Those of you who do both kinds of art know that there is quite a distinction between the two. Apparently, the gears in my head hadn't switched back from one phase to the other. After making a mess of the bunny, I thought it best to let it alone for the night and come back to it today. I hope things go better.

My point is that we shouldn't be discouraged by our failures. I thought a bit about where I went wrong with the bunny and I think I can do things differently and salvage him and make him 'teachable' in the process. I will be making a video to go with this class, so you will certainly all see the process that I will settle on. I am determined to make him work. :)

So that is what is on today's agenda along with the usual tasks. I am sure it will be a full day and hopefully it will have a good outcome for the bunny project. We will just have to see . . .

Happy Monday to you all!
I love the way our minds work, get stumped by something and if we're smart and know ourselves we'll stop or do something else then sleep on it and let our mind work on it in the background,
and now with the net we can do a little research how others get er done and can come up with two or three new ways or ideas to help the mind figure it out.
At least that the way it works with my model building.
 

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#12,989 ·
Rescuing the Rabbit

As we arrive on this final day of November, we realize that Christmas and the holidays are right around the corner. Once again, I am in awe of how quickly time passes. It seems like just last week I was working on my glass pumpkin and teaching video for the November ToleTown project, and here I am with another project (and video) due. It all seemed to happen in a blink of an eye.

But happen, it did, and as time marches brutally forward, we have no choice but to fall into line and try to do what we are able before the holidays are upon us. It is time, once again, to shift those projects that were intended to be completed by the holidays on to the list for 'next year' and do the best we can to complete as much as possible. It has become somewhat of a routine in my life these past years, with ideas far exceeding the timeframe that I have to implement them.

No worries for me, though, as it creates quite a wonderful safety net of ideas for the upcoming year. I am fortunate to have developed the habit of writing the good ideas down, and my lists are long for just about every season. Naturally, they are also fluid, as new (and sometimes better) ideas are added as they are thought of. Because of this, in the rare moment that I draw a blank as to what to work on next, I have several good choices to pick from. I call it my "job security."

As for now, however, I have the task of completing my project for the ToleTown online community. For those who are not familiar, it is an online site which (for a small membership fee) offers patterns, videos and an entire support community for decorative painting. I have been a member of their design team for a couple of years now and a member of the community for over a decade. I really find it to be a nice place for all who enjoy painting. It is a pleasure to do projects for their members.

As I showed you last time, I had a little bit of trouble this time around with the ornament that I was making for my class. I couldn't wrap my head around the process to achieve the look I wanted, and it became quite a disaster. By the time I called it quits on Sunday night, I was pretty discouraged. My bunny looked awful!

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Fawn Art Snout


But by walking away from it and taking some time to think about things, I believe I have the problem solved. I had lots of cutting to do on Monday and I thought it was best to allow the ornament to 'rest' a bit, as well as my head. By the time I returned to working on it yesterday, I had fresh eyes and a fresh thought process as to how I could achieve what I was thinking in the first place. Things actually went pretty smooth and it seemed that the time away eliminated all of the anxiety that I had felt regarding this project the night before. I was on my way.

Before long, the little bunny came together and actually looks a lot better. It didn't even take very long to make him 'cute' again. I was able to finish him up and I think he looks good:

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Felidae Fawn Hare


Now this is more what I had envisioned at the beginning! A cute little winter rabbit! While I can see some small refinements that I would like to do on him, for the most part, I consider him done. I will spend today recreating him a couple of times and shooting the instructional video of me doing so. I think he will be a fun class for the ToleTown community.

I think the moral of the story is that we shouldn't really give up on something - no matter how bad we think it is. sometimes walking away from things for a while allows us to refocus and forget all of the anxiety that we experienced regarding a certain project and when we come back with fresh eyes and a clear mind, we are able to accomplish what we wanted to do in the first place. I hope you all keep this in mind when things don't quite go your way when you are trying something new. It is a good lesson in patience (with yourself) and learning.

Right now I am very happy and proud of him and have him hanging right next to my desk. I think he will stay there all winter. I am even thinking of making some 'friends' for him to create a set. (I'll add it to the list!)

I also spent some time decorating my home last night. As I mentioned before, having a larger place means that there is plenty of room for the things that I couldn't display previously. I actually have very little stuff to show because I gave most of it away, knowing that there was no room in our small apartment to either store things or show them off. But now things are different.

I found my Skating Pond Vignette (SLDP103) that I designed several years ago. I actually made three of the larger sets but gave two of them away. I almost gave my third one away as well, but something told me to keep it. I am really glad I did! I thought it would look perfect sitting up on the sideboard in our dining area. And it does!

Christmas decoration Toy Event Christmas Holiday


I had an extra pedestal from a cake plate that I had where the top had broken. I thought that would make a wonderful 'ice pond'. I covered the insert with aluminum foil for the ice and also added a sheer, iridescent fabric that looked like small scratches in the ice made by the skates (you can't see that part well from the photo, but it is there!)

I then went to the dollar store and purchased a set of 20 LED battery operated lights. I put them under the 'snow' carpet (also from the dollar store) and it makes a wonderful, lighted winter wonderland scene. It looks just lovely in the dark with the only illumination coming from the snow. I think I will leave it up all winter. :)

I did have a large tree that went with the set, but I can't seem to find it. I will have to make another one in my spare time. (I'll add that to my list, too!) But for now, it looks just wonderful as it is. It is truly a fun project and I remember that I even built the little foot bridge. I have a full pattern available to make the scene if you are interested and want to follow the product link.

All in all, it was a good day. I also cut some more projects out at the saw for customers and for some upcoming designs. I have lots of great things in the works that I can't wait to share.

Today, as I mentioned, I will be working on the video. Then on to my next new woodworking project (it is already cut out, but needs to be put together) and then more painting stuff. In between, I will finish up the Sloth picture as well as my Day 10 of my 12 Days of Christmas project. Then . . . (well - you get the point!) I don't think I will run out of things to do anytime soon.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this little rabbit being 'rescued' and that you remember that when you make a mess of one of your projects. There is always hope. :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#12,990 ·
Rescuing the Rabbit

As we arrive on this final day of November, we realize that Christmas and the holidays are right around the corner. Once again, I am in awe of how quickly time passes. It seems like just last week I was working on my glass pumpkin and teaching video for the November ToleTown project, and here I am with another project (and video) due. It all seemed to happen in a blink of an eye.

But happen, it did, and as time marches brutally forward, we have no choice but to fall into line and try to do what we are able before the holidays are upon us. It is time, once again, to shift those projects that were intended to be completed by the holidays on to the list for 'next year' and do the best we can to complete as much as possible. It has become somewhat of a routine in my life these past years, with ideas far exceeding the timeframe that I have to implement them.

No worries for me, though, as it creates quite a wonderful safety net of ideas for the upcoming year. I am fortunate to have developed the habit of writing the good ideas down, and my lists are long for just about every season. Naturally, they are also fluid, as new (and sometimes better) ideas are added as they are thought of. Because of this, in the rare moment that I draw a blank as to what to work on next, I have several good choices to pick from. I call it my "job security."

As for now, however, I have the task of completing my project for the ToleTown online community. For those who are not familiar, it is an online site which (for a small membership fee) offers patterns, videos and an entire support community for decorative painting. I have been a member of their design team for a couple of years now and a member of the community for over a decade. I really find it to be a nice place for all who enjoy painting. It is a pleasure to do projects for their members.

As I showed you last time, I had a little bit of trouble this time around with the ornament that I was making for my class. I couldn't wrap my head around the process to achieve the look I wanted, and it became quite a disaster. By the time I called it quits on Sunday night, I was pretty discouraged. My bunny looked awful!

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Fawn Art Snout


But by walking away from it and taking some time to think about things, I believe I have the problem solved. I had lots of cutting to do on Monday and I thought it was best to allow the ornament to 'rest' a bit, as well as my head. By the time I returned to working on it yesterday, I had fresh eyes and a fresh thought process as to how I could achieve what I was thinking in the first place. Things actually went pretty smooth and it seemed that the time away eliminated all of the anxiety that I had felt regarding this project the night before. I was on my way.

Before long, the little bunny came together and actually looks a lot better. It didn't even take very long to make him 'cute' again. I was able to finish him up and I think he looks good:

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Felidae Fawn Hare


Now this is more what I had envisioned at the beginning! A cute little winter rabbit! While I can see some small refinements that I would like to do on him, for the most part, I consider him done. I will spend today recreating him a couple of times and shooting the instructional video of me doing so. I think he will be a fun class for the ToleTown community.

I think the moral of the story is that we shouldn't really give up on something - no matter how bad we think it is. sometimes walking away from things for a while allows us to refocus and forget all of the anxiety that we experienced regarding a certain project and when we come back with fresh eyes and a clear mind, we are able to accomplish what we wanted to do in the first place. I hope you all keep this in mind when things don't quite go your way when you are trying something new. It is a good lesson in patience (with yourself) and learning.

Right now I am very happy and proud of him and have him hanging right next to my desk. I think he will stay there all winter. I am even thinking of making some 'friends' for him to create a set. (I'll add it to the list!)

I also spent some time decorating my home last night. As I mentioned before, having a larger place means that there is plenty of room for the things that I couldn't display previously. I actually have very little stuff to show because I gave most of it away, knowing that there was no room in our small apartment to either store things or show them off. But now things are different.

I found my Skating Pond Vignette (SLDP103) that I designed several years ago. I actually made three of the larger sets but gave two of them away. I almost gave my third one away as well, but something told me to keep it. I am really glad I did! I thought it would look perfect sitting up on the sideboard in our dining area. And it does!

Christmas decoration Toy Event Christmas Holiday


I had an extra pedestal from a cake plate that I had where the top had broken. I thought that would make a wonderful 'ice pond'. I covered the insert with aluminum foil for the ice and also added a sheer, iridescent fabric that looked like small scratches in the ice made by the skates (you can't see that part well from the photo, but it is there!)

I then went to the dollar store and purchased a set of 20 LED battery operated lights. I put them under the 'snow' carpet (also from the dollar store) and it makes a wonderful, lighted winter wonderland scene. It looks just lovely in the dark with the only illumination coming from the snow. I think I will leave it up all winter. :)

I did have a large tree that went with the set, but I can't seem to find it. I will have to make another one in my spare time. (I'll add that to my list, too!) But for now, it looks just wonderful as it is. It is truly a fun project and I remember that I even built the little foot bridge. I have a full pattern available to make the scene if you are interested and want to follow the product link.

All in all, it was a good day. I also cut some more projects out at the saw for customers and for some upcoming designs. I have lots of great things in the works that I can't wait to share.

Today, as I mentioned, I will be working on the video. Then on to my next new woodworking project (it is already cut out, but needs to be put together) and then more painting stuff. In between, I will finish up the Sloth picture as well as my Day 10 of my 12 Days of Christmas project. Then . . . (well - you get the point!) I don't think I will run out of things to do anytime soon.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this little rabbit being 'rescued' and that you remember that when you make a mess of one of your projects. There is always hope. :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#12,998 ·
Life's Little Curve Balls . . .

Every once in a while, life throws us a little curve ball. These little surprises often come when we least expect them (thus - the term "surprise") and knock us for a loop. They never seem to occur during the lulls in our life, but when we seem to be the busiest. Sometimes that is just the way it goes . . .

Last week, I had to take my dear kitty Pancakes to the vet. He was having some issues and in general not feeling his best. I could tell because I just "knew" that he wasn't his usual self. While the changes were subtle, they were definitely present.

I wondered if I was over-reacting when I took him to the vet. After all - he was eating well and looked OK, but I felt there was something out of whack. I am really glad that I did bring him in, although I don't know if I was prepared for what we found out.

It seems the little guy is going through some sort of trauma. His spleen is very large and he needs to have surgery on it. They will possibly remove it. After a battery of blood tests and x-rays on Thursday, they found no abnormalities and everything else seems to be in order. It is perplexing for both the doctors and us.

So on Thursday he will go for 'exploratory surgery'. I know that sounds excessive for 'just a cat', but those of you who know me know this is a family member. I am not even considering not trying to get to the bottom of things. Pancakes is only ten and has many, many good years left if we can solve this mystery. The fact that he appears to be cancer-free from the x-ray and everything else is "normal" from the blood work shows that he has a lot in his favor. Now if we can only figure out why his spleen is so large.

I will be worried until Thursday and probably a mess on that day. But I will also remain hopeful that all will end well. The doctors I have are excellent and really do care about their patients. Their office just called this morning to check on him and see how he was doing. So until the day, we will just try to keep working and moving ahead.

I wanted to show a couple of new designs that Keith has on the site. The first is his SLDK695 - Philippians 4:13 Bible Plaque pattern:

Brown Wood Font Rectangle Art


Like all his other bible plaques, it is beautiful and elegant. This pattern even has two different layouts that you can choose to make.

He also created this SLDK696 - Do All Things Through Christ pattern:

Brown Wood Rectangle Font Tints and shades


It is another nice all-season plaque that would look great just about anywhere.

Next, he created this SLDKBPSet 2 - Set of 4 God, Lord, Christ and Savior Bible Passage patterns:

Font Rectangle Window Publication Poster


I believe he had all of these plaque patterns available individually, but now they are available in a set. They would look lovely as a vignette displayed all together.

Finally, Keith created a plaque with two different, yet similar sayings that are based on Matthew 19:26 - With God - all things are possible:



The item number for that pattern is SLDK697 - With God All Things Are Possible. I think it is another all-around beautiful project.

As for me, I spent the weekend working on the video for my SLDP254 Winter Bunny Snowflake Ornament project for ToleTown.

Rabbit Font Fawn Rabbits and Hares Jewellery


As you remember, this was the piece that I wrote about in my blog entitled "Bunny Blunder". I was happy that I was able to pull it out of the fire and make it look decent. I worked on the fur and it turned out pretty nice:

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Organism Whiskers Mountain Cottontail


Kind of in between realism and a cartoon. I practiced it again and painted it for the progression photos for the pattern packet on Saturday and then again for the video on Sunday. In the end, I am happy with it and I have a two-part, hour and a half video lesson to go with the pattern. The video is uploading to ToleTown as I write this.

It was fun to do the video in my new home here. I am learning to do videos quicker and more efficiently. It made me think that I should be doing more in the near future and I hope to do so.

I really have lots of great things planned and I know that now I am getting settled, I should be able to accomplish more. I thank you all for your continued support. Creative people are the BEST!

I wish you all a wonderful day today. Be sure to try to make some time to do what you love! Life is short! You never know when one of those curve balls will come your way!

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Hare Whiskers Fawn


Happy Monday to you all!
 

Attachments

#12,999 ·
Life's Little Curve Balls . . .

Every once in a while, life throws us a little curve ball. These little surprises often come when we least expect them (thus - the term "surprise") and knock us for a loop. They never seem to occur during the lulls in our life, but when we seem to be the busiest. Sometimes that is just the way it goes . . .

Last week, I had to take my dear kitty Pancakes to the vet. He was having some issues and in general not feeling his best. I could tell because I just "knew" that he wasn't his usual self. While the changes were subtle, they were definitely present.

I wondered if I was over-reacting when I took him to the vet. After all - he was eating well and looked OK, but I felt there was something out of whack. I am really glad that I did bring him in, although I don't know if I was prepared for what we found out.

It seems the little guy is going through some sort of trauma. His spleen is very large and he needs to have surgery on it. They will possibly remove it. After a battery of blood tests and x-rays on Thursday, they found no abnormalities and everything else seems to be in order. It is perplexing for both the doctors and us.

So on Thursday he will go for 'exploratory surgery'. I know that sounds excessive for 'just a cat', but those of you who know me know this is a family member. I am not even considering not trying to get to the bottom of things. Pancakes is only ten and has many, many good years left if we can solve this mystery. The fact that he appears to be cancer-free from the x-ray and everything else is "normal" from the blood work shows that he has a lot in his favor. Now if we can only figure out why his spleen is so large.

I will be worried until Thursday and probably a mess on that day. But I will also remain hopeful that all will end well. The doctors I have are excellent and really do care about their patients. Their office just called this morning to check on him and see how he was doing. So until the day, we will just try to keep working and moving ahead.

I wanted to show a couple of new designs that Keith has on the site. The first is his SLDK695 - Philippians 4:13 Bible Plaque pattern:

Brown Wood Font Rectangle Art


Like all his other bible plaques, it is beautiful and elegant. This pattern even has two different layouts that you can choose to make.

He also created this SLDK696 - Do All Things Through Christ pattern:

Brown Wood Rectangle Font Tints and shades


It is another nice all-season plaque that would look great just about anywhere.

Next, he created this SLDKBPSet 2 - Set of 4 God, Lord, Christ and Savior Bible Passage patterns:

Font Rectangle Window Publication Poster


I believe he had all of these plaque patterns available individually, but now they are available in a set. They would look lovely as a vignette displayed all together.

Finally, Keith created a plaque with two different, yet similar sayings that are based on Matthew 19:26 - With God - all things are possible:



The item number for that pattern is SLDK697 - With God All Things Are Possible. I think it is another all-around beautiful project.

As for me, I spent the weekend working on the video for my SLDP254 Winter Bunny Snowflake Ornament project for ToleTown.

Rabbit Font Fawn Rabbits and Hares Jewellery


As you remember, this was the piece that I wrote about in my blog entitled "Bunny Blunder". I was happy that I was able to pull it out of the fire and make it look decent. I worked on the fur and it turned out pretty nice:

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Organism Whiskers Mountain Cottontail


Kind of in between realism and a cartoon. I practiced it again and painted it for the progression photos for the pattern packet on Saturday and then again for the video on Sunday. In the end, I am happy with it and I have a two-part, hour and a half video lesson to go with the pattern. The video is uploading to ToleTown as I write this.

It was fun to do the video in my new home here. I am learning to do videos quicker and more efficiently. It made me think that I should be doing more in the near future and I hope to do so.

I really have lots of great things planned and I know that now I am getting settled, I should be able to accomplish more. I thank you all for your continued support. Creative people are the BEST!

I wish you all a wonderful day today. Be sure to try to make some time to do what you love! Life is short! You never know when one of those curve balls will come your way!

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Hare Whiskers Fawn


Happy Monday to you all!
Wishing the best possible outcome for Pancakes.
 

Attachments

#13,007 ·
Letting Go of a Friend

I am writing this post today because I realize that many of my friends who read regularly are not on my Facebook page. I received a couple of emails from people wondering how things went with my kitty Pancakes yesterday.I thought it was best to write it here.

Things did not go well. My dear, sweet boy has crossed what pet lovers call "The Rainbow Bridge". He is no longer with me.

I am deeply saddened and in shock. Just a week ago we took him to the vet for a 'routine' checkup. He was having some irritation on his bottom and we thought it would be a quick fix and he would be back with us for several more years. He was only 9.

But in the examination, the vet found a mass in his abdomen. We left him for the day last week and they did a full blood workup and x-rays. When we returned, the result was promising. All his blood work came back within a 'normal' range. That meant his kidneys and liver were functioning properly and there was no infection. That was good.

The x-rays showed, however, that what appeared to be his spleen was quite large. Usually, this was an indication of something else. The vet wanted to do an exploratory surgery to see what was up. He prescribed some steroids to help shrink the offending organ and boost him up and the surgery was scheduled for yesterday (Thursday). We were hopeful.

All went well for the week. The little guy even seemed much more energetic. I am sure that was due to the medication. We had thought that the worse case would be that the spleen would be removed completely. While it would be traumatic, it was something that he could live with for many, many years. I have been worried about him, though, as the numbers just didn't make sense. The vet said he was a 'mystery cat' because the numbers from his blood work showed nothing. They should have been off with the large mass there. We just had to wait and see . . .

We received a call from the vet during the surgery. Unfortunately, when they opened him up, they found that his liver was loaded with cancer. The vet said he couldn't believe it because of the numbers. But it was there. I had to make the gut-wrenching decision to let him go. It absolutely devastated me.

The vet told me that even if Pancakes were to recover from the anesthetic (they weren't sure) it would be a painful and scary recover. The prognosis for his life was only days and maybe a week or so if he lingered. My initial response was to tell him to "save him", but after talking to Keith and hearing my own words, I realized how selfish that choice would have been. I had Keith call back (I couldn't say the words myself) and tell them to let my little boy go in peace. He would no longer be in pain or fearful. I had to let go.

I have had cats all of my life, but I had never been in this position before. Pancakes was more like a dog than a cat. He was by my side every waking hour. He loved his "grammie" with all his heart. I could see it the way he looked at me. And I loved him back.

I have felt ill since yesterday. Like a cannon was shot into my tummy. I find myself falling into tears and not being able to stop. I had a fitful sleep last night and I recruited Richard (my other cat) to do some 'overtime' in the cuddling department. I am certain he is upset because he sees me so upset. He and Pancakes were never really 'friends', so I am sure he can't understand my feeling of loss.

I need to lay low for a while and grieve. Right now the pink cloud seems very, very far away. But I wanted you, my friends, to know what happened. Many of you loved when I posted about him. He had quite a following.

I keep telling myself that I did the right thing. I hope I did. Our little companions can't speak for themselves. They can't tell us they hurt. They can't tell us how they feel. He hasn't been himself for a while, and I knew something was not right. Perhaps that is why I have felt this sense of dread all week.

I will be back when I am ready. I don't know when that will be. I just want to thank you all for your kind words and deeds regarding my little boy. They mean so much to me.

I loved Pancakes with all my heart. I always will.

Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Window


You are no longer in pain. <3
 

Attachments

#13,008 ·
Letting Go of a Friend

I am writing this post today because I realize that many of my friends who read regularly are not on my Facebook page. I received a couple of emails from people wondering how things went with my kitty Pancakes yesterday.I thought it was best to write it here.

Things did not go well. My dear, sweet boy has crossed what pet lovers call "The Rainbow Bridge". He is no longer with me.

I am deeply saddened and in shock. Just a week ago we took him to the vet for a 'routine' checkup. He was having some irritation on his bottom and we thought it would be a quick fix and he would be back with us for several more years. He was only 9.

But in the examination, the vet found a mass in his abdomen. We left him for the day last week and they did a full blood workup and x-rays. When we returned, the result was promising. All his blood work came back within a 'normal' range. That meant his kidneys and liver were functioning properly and there was no infection. That was good.

The x-rays showed, however, that what appeared to be his spleen was quite large. Usually, this was an indication of something else. The vet wanted to do an exploratory surgery to see what was up. He prescribed some steroids to help shrink the offending organ and boost him up and the surgery was scheduled for yesterday (Thursday). We were hopeful.

All went well for the week. The little guy even seemed much more energetic. I am sure that was due to the medication. We had thought that the worse case would be that the spleen would be removed completely. While it would be traumatic, it was something that he could live with for many, many years. I have been worried about him, though, as the numbers just didn't make sense. The vet said he was a 'mystery cat' because the numbers from his blood work showed nothing. They should have been off with the large mass there. We just had to wait and see . . .

We received a call from the vet during the surgery. Unfortunately, when they opened him up, they found that his liver was loaded with cancer. The vet said he couldn't believe it because of the numbers. But it was there. I had to make the gut-wrenching decision to let him go. It absolutely devastated me.

The vet told me that even if Pancakes were to recover from the anesthetic (they weren't sure) it would be a painful and scary recover. The prognosis for his life was only days and maybe a week or so if he lingered. My initial response was to tell him to "save him", but after talking to Keith and hearing my own words, I realized how selfish that choice would have been. I had Keith call back (I couldn't say the words myself) and tell them to let my little boy go in peace. He would no longer be in pain or fearful. I had to let go.

I have had cats all of my life, but I had never been in this position before. Pancakes was more like a dog than a cat. He was by my side every waking hour. He loved his "grammie" with all his heart. I could see it the way he looked at me. And I loved him back.

I have felt ill since yesterday. Like a cannon was shot into my tummy. I find myself falling into tears and not being able to stop. I had a fitful sleep last night and I recruited Richard (my other cat) to do some 'overtime' in the cuddling department. I am certain he is upset because he sees me so upset. He and Pancakes were never really 'friends', so I am sure he can't understand my feeling of loss.

I need to lay low for a while and grieve. Right now the pink cloud seems very, very far away. But I wanted you, my friends, to know what happened. Many of you loved when I posted about him. He had quite a following.

I keep telling myself that I did the right thing. I hope I did. Our little companions can't speak for themselves. They can't tell us they hurt. They can't tell us how they feel. He hasn't been himself for a while, and I knew something was not right. Perhaps that is why I have felt this sense of dread all week.

I will be back when I am ready. I don't know when that will be. I just want to thank you all for your kind words and deeds regarding my little boy. They mean so much to me.

I loved Pancakes with all my heart. I always will.

Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Window


You are no longer in pain. <3
My sincere condolences. I empathize with your loss as have been there. It will get better with time and you have some great memories with him.
 

Attachments

#13,019 ·
Thank You

I am not going to kid you all. This has been a tough couple of weeks. I have struggled more than I have in a long time and I am still trying to recover from recent things that happened. I am getting there, but it is going to take a bit longer, I am afraid.

I know that isn't what you are used to seeing from me. In general, I am a very positive person. A fighter. Someone who is able to look at even not-so-nice things and try to find a grain of something good in them. Keith used to say that I lived on a "Pink Cloud". A place where optimism reigned supreme.

I like living there. I truly believe that our attitude helps dictate the direction that our life heads. I try to look at every situation from the positive side. For even things that are painful to us allow us to grow, learn and feel. It is part of the process of our life.

But losing my kitty Pancakes so suddenly to cancer was a huge hit. He was young. I never saw it coming. The last thing we expected when we dropped him off at the vet was that we would never see him again. I just wasn't prepared for the outcome.

I spent the first week after his death in shock and mourning. Those of you who have pets understand. I heard stories from many of you that were close to my heart, as many of you had gone through the same with your own sweet companions. You understood the hurt, anger and deep feeling of loss that I felt. You understood the pain - both physical and emotional. You understood the sadness.

With each passing day, it became a bit easier. The slow process of 'acceptance' had begun and the feelings of pain and hurt were beginning to be replaced gradually with feelings of love. I was starting to be able to see photos of him and instead of crying, I smiled. I thought about the antics he did with me and realized how fortunate I was these past nine years to have him in my life. I am so grateful for the short time we had.

Then last Saturday, just as I was beginning to heal, things shifted again. My other cat Richard became violently ill. I spent the last weekend nursing him and talking on the phone to the best vet in the world who was trying to counsel me on treating him. We had an ice storm here and the roads were horrendous on Saturday and the vet's office is about 45 minutes away. It would have been dangerous for us to try to get him to the clinic. We tried our best.

On Sunday, Richard showed some improvement in that he stopped vomiting, but little else to give us hope. He fell into a lull and even though I had been giving him fluids by eyedropper, we knew he was severely dehydrated and very ill. Late in the afternoon, we made the decision to take him into the clinic. We were glad we did.

To make a long story short, we saved his life. He had a high fever and what turned out to be a liver infection. We had to leave him at the clinic for nearly two days and didn't get him back until Tuesday afternoon. They had to give him five IV treatments along with antibiotics, steroids and a pill to help his liver recover. When we brought him home, he looked 'better' but was still weak and had much healing ahead. But we are grateful he is home. And grateful that he is alive.

It sure put things in perspective.

It shifted my feelings of sadness and loss of my dear Pancakes to one of concern and worry for my Rich. It isn't as if I am not still mourning the loss of Pancakes, but the gratitude that filled my heart that Richard is alright has helped me realize just how fortunate I am. It has helped me look at things in a slightly different way and focus on what gifts I have instead of what I have lost. It somehow made things a bit easier.

This realization does not at all diminish the love I have for my sweet Pancakes, but rather helps me appreciate the time I had with him even more. In looking back, I saw some changes in his behavior. I had attributed that to moving to our new home, as I was even still adjusting to that. He was a very sensitive kitty and I thought that the change had more effect on him than the others. But looking back through knowing eyes, I realize that these small changes were clues to what was really happening. He was sick and probably hurting and didn't have any other way to tell us. He had become 'crankier' than normal and his tolerance was much lower of things and he was quieter. Looking back, I think he was slowly distancing himself from us. It was his way of letting us know something was wrong.

By realizing these things, I also realize that he was spared a great deal of pain. If his condition had gone undetected much longer, it would have certainly caused him great pain and suffering. I take comfort in that his final days were filled with love and relatively pain-free. He passed from this world to the next as gentle as possible. I am grateful for that.

Richard is slowly recovering. Now it is Friday and he is nearly back to his normal self. He is on several medications and will be for a couple of weeks. We will then bring him back for some more tests to be sure his liver was recovering as it should. We think we are out of the woods.

I used to love to sit at the beach and watch the waves. I could sit there for hours doing just that. Their never-ending rhythm of rolling to the shore would both calm and sooth me.

In a way, I think that I can assimilate the events of our life to those waves.

Day by day each event that occurs to us keeps rolling in, unrelenting. Each event is different. Some are good. Some are not so good. But no matter what happens or how it affects us, life goes on, as the waves keep coming. That is part of living.

I have decided to take the rest of this year off to continue to heal and reflect on some things. I have been blogging for over seven years and have barely missed a few days during that period. I always strive to bring something good and positive to you all and hopefully encourage you to be positive as well as creative. I truly feel that is one of my most important purposes here on this Earth. But I need some more time to heal. It would be a farce if I came here pretending that I am unaffected by the events in my life. I wouldn't be true to you all or to myself either.

On a final note, I want to thank you all for your wonderfully sweet and encouraging words, notes, gifts, and thoughts. I am astounded at the number of people who really do understand and care. I try to answer them all, but sometimes I just run out of energy. I need to step away from the computer so that I can focus on something else and heal and move forward. I hope you understand.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, Keith and I both wish you a very merry day. For those of you who do not, we also wish you well. May you all have a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and creative new year ahead.

We are so appreciative of you all. So many of you are not only customers or readers, but true friends. We are ever so grateful for you love and support, both in our business and personally. Thank you.

I know that there are great things to come in the upcoming year. I can't wait to show you as I implement my ideas. We will focus on the good things and the joys that life offers and hopefully, it will enrich our lives and make them a bit happier.

Cat Comfort Felidae Textile Carnivore


Take care.
 

Attachments

#13,020 ·
Thank You

I am not going to kid you all. This has been a tough couple of weeks. I have struggled more than I have in a long time and I am still trying to recover from recent things that happened. I am getting there, but it is going to take a bit longer, I am afraid.

I know that isn't what you are used to seeing from me. In general, I am a very positive person. A fighter. Someone who is able to look at even not-so-nice things and try to find a grain of something good in them. Keith used to say that I lived on a "Pink Cloud". A place where optimism reigned supreme.

I like living there. I truly believe that our attitude helps dictate the direction that our life heads. I try to look at every situation from the positive side. For even things that are painful to us allow us to grow, learn and feel. It is part of the process of our life.

But losing my kitty Pancakes so suddenly to cancer was a huge hit. He was young. I never saw it coming. The last thing we expected when we dropped him off at the vet was that we would never see him again. I just wasn't prepared for the outcome.

I spent the first week after his death in shock and mourning. Those of you who have pets understand. I heard stories from many of you that were close to my heart, as many of you had gone through the same with your own sweet companions. You understood the hurt, anger and deep feeling of loss that I felt. You understood the pain - both physical and emotional. You understood the sadness.

With each passing day, it became a bit easier. The slow process of 'acceptance' had begun and the feelings of pain and hurt were beginning to be replaced gradually with feelings of love. I was starting to be able to see photos of him and instead of crying, I smiled. I thought about the antics he did with me and realized how fortunate I was these past nine years to have him in my life. I am so grateful for the short time we had.

Then last Saturday, just as I was beginning to heal, things shifted again. My other cat Richard became violently ill. I spent the last weekend nursing him and talking on the phone to the best vet in the world who was trying to counsel me on treating him. We had an ice storm here and the roads were horrendous on Saturday and the vet's office is about 45 minutes away. It would have been dangerous for us to try to get him to the clinic. We tried our best.

On Sunday, Richard showed some improvement in that he stopped vomiting, but little else to give us hope. He fell into a lull and even though I had been giving him fluids by eyedropper, we knew he was severely dehydrated and very ill. Late in the afternoon, we made the decision to take him into the clinic. We were glad we did.

To make a long story short, we saved his life. He had a high fever and what turned out to be a liver infection. We had to leave him at the clinic for nearly two days and didn't get him back until Tuesday afternoon. They had to give him five IV treatments along with antibiotics, steroids and a pill to help his liver recover. When we brought him home, he looked 'better' but was still weak and had much healing ahead. But we are grateful he is home. And grateful that he is alive.

It sure put things in perspective.

It shifted my feelings of sadness and loss of my dear Pancakes to one of concern and worry for my Rich. It isn't as if I am not still mourning the loss of Pancakes, but the gratitude that filled my heart that Richard is alright has helped me realize just how fortunate I am. It has helped me look at things in a slightly different way and focus on what gifts I have instead of what I have lost. It somehow made things a bit easier.

This realization does not at all diminish the love I have for my sweet Pancakes, but rather helps me appreciate the time I had with him even more. In looking back, I saw some changes in his behavior. I had attributed that to moving to our new home, as I was even still adjusting to that. He was a very sensitive kitty and I thought that the change had more effect on him than the others. But looking back through knowing eyes, I realize that these small changes were clues to what was really happening. He was sick and probably hurting and didn't have any other way to tell us. He had become 'crankier' than normal and his tolerance was much lower of things and he was quieter. Looking back, I think he was slowly distancing himself from us. It was his way of letting us know something was wrong.

By realizing these things, I also realize that he was spared a great deal of pain. If his condition had gone undetected much longer, it would have certainly caused him great pain and suffering. I take comfort in that his final days were filled with love and relatively pain-free. He passed from this world to the next as gentle as possible. I am grateful for that.

Richard is slowly recovering. Now it is Friday and he is nearly back to his normal self. He is on several medications and will be for a couple of weeks. We will then bring him back for some more tests to be sure his liver was recovering as it should. We think we are out of the woods.

I used to love to sit at the beach and watch the waves. I could sit there for hours doing just that. Their never-ending rhythm of rolling to the shore would both calm and sooth me.

In a way, I think that I can assimilate the events of our life to those waves.

Day by day each event that occurs to us keeps rolling in, unrelenting. Each event is different. Some are good. Some are not so good. But no matter what happens or how it affects us, life goes on, as the waves keep coming. That is part of living.

I have decided to take the rest of this year off to continue to heal and reflect on some things. I have been blogging for over seven years and have barely missed a few days during that period. I always strive to bring something good and positive to you all and hopefully encourage you to be positive as well as creative. I truly feel that is one of my most important purposes here on this Earth. But I need some more time to heal. It would be a farce if I came here pretending that I am unaffected by the events in my life. I wouldn't be true to you all or to myself either.

On a final note, I want to thank you all for your wonderfully sweet and encouraging words, notes, gifts, and thoughts. I am astounded at the number of people who really do understand and care. I try to answer them all, but sometimes I just run out of energy. I need to step away from the computer so that I can focus on something else and heal and move forward. I hope you understand.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, Keith and I both wish you a very merry day. For those of you who do not, we also wish you well. May you all have a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and creative new year ahead.

We are so appreciative of you all. So many of you are not only customers or readers, but true friends. We are ever so grateful for you love and support, both in our business and personally. Thank you.

I know that there are great things to come in the upcoming year. I can't wait to show you as I implement my ideas. We will focus on the good things and the joys that life offers and hopefully, it will enrich our lives and make them a bit happier.

Cat Comfort Felidae Textile Carnivore


Take care.
My heart goes out to you over your loss and the second episode with your other cat. The picture of the cat brought back memories of the cat I had as a boy, same color and he would go for walks all over the farm and pant like a dog. A true friend. My wild cat is abit more friendly and want to be petted when I put the food down, leans into my hand when I put it down. Food is still the only way I can get close to it.
 

Attachments

#13,029 ·
Back to Blogging . . .

I realize it has been a long time since I posted a blog. To be honest with you all, it has been a rough couple of months. After losing my dear kitty and constant companion Pancakes suddenly early in December, the following week my other kitty Richard became gravely ill. The vet seems to think that his illness was triggered by the stress of losing Pancakes. Cats are very sensitive creatures. The combination of Pancakes just 'disappearing' and me being grief-stricken was something that he didn't understand. Since I have last posted, we have had Richard in and out of the emergency hospital twice. Both times he was also near death. We got him home on New Year's Eve and since then have watched him slowly recover. We are cautiously optimistic. Only time will tell.

As you can imagine, this took a great deal out of me. Not only was I mourning for Pancakes, but now worried about Rich. Under these circumstances, there was no way that I could function normally beyond doing the everyday tasks that were required to keep the business growing. I know most of you understand. Our pets are an important part of our lives and we love them like our own children.

I wish to thank you all again for your kind support and friendships during this time. I also want to thank you for your patience. I had many orders for both patterns and wood surfaces from friends who were very patient in receiving them - especially the wood pieces. While I usually aim to get my wood orders out in one or two days, it has taken me slightly longer. Between the holidays and the chaos of having to bring a sick kitty to the vet several times and the worry, I just couldn't keep up. But everyone was great and understanding and there were notes of support and care. I can't tell you how much that meant to me. We are a small, personal business and those of you who have been around a while know we do our best to do our best. But we are also 'human' and things happen to use just as they do to you and your family. Thank you for understanding that. We appreciate it so much.

So things are 'better' and we are once again moving in a good direction. I have taken the past week to reorganize and plan the new directions that I want to take the business in 2017. I am once again feeling good and excited about things and hopefully, we will have lots of fun projects and inspiration for all of you to enjoy. I will do my best.

We are going to be sending out our first newsletter of the year later on today. I will show a quick preview of all the new things that will be added to the site for those of you who aren't on our mailing list. I hope you consider joining it, as we will be trying to send a newsletter every other week or so to showcase all that is new. You can join by going to the Mailing List tab on our site. We don't share your information with anyone and don't SPAM you. We just like to keep you informed in case you don't read my blog.

To start off with, Keith has some new plaques for you all to enjoy. The first two were requests from customers that he thought would be something that everyone would enjoy. His SLDK703 US Army Special Forces and SLDK702 US Army Infantry plaque patterns are both in his ever-popular word-in-word style.

Rectangle Wood Grass Font Tints and shades


Green Rectangle Wood Font Grass


Both of these designs are nice for those of you with military customers or families.

The third design from Keith is also a word-in-word plaque pattern, but with an added twist.

Brown Rectangle Wood Font Nameplate


The SLDK704 Bless this House With Love and Laughter plaque pattern includes the two versions of the plaque shown - one in the traditional style and the other with the decorative header and footer. I really like the detail of the header and footer design. I think it adds to the plaque and that little accent really makes a nice difference. Both are really nice.

As for myself, I have some new painting patterns that I am now able to release. These have been previously released as online publications, but now I am able to sell the patterns on my own site. I actually have a new scroll saw pattern that I designed early in December. I even cut out all the pieces. I only need to paint them and make the pattern up and I should have that coming soon. Please don't lose faith in me. I have lots of new ideas for scrolling and painting patterns as well. My goal this year is to add to both venues on a regular basis. I know I can do it!

The first "new" painting pattern that will be available on my site is my SLDP253 Pumpkin with Winter Roses pattern.

Pumpkin Serveware Calabaza Porcelain Ornament


This is a lovely project to have out all winter long. The pretty rose design can easily be transferred to just about any surface. I could see this on trays, boxes, or plates. I actually have a full-length video for this project that I will be posting to my YouTube Channel in the next few days. It walks you through the full process of painting these fun and easy roses. I plan on posting many more of my instructional videos in the near future. I hope you subscribe to my channel so you can get notified when new material is available.

The next new project pattern that will be posted with this update is my SLDP254 Winter Bunny Snowflake Ornament pattern.

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Hare Whiskers Fawn


This beautiful step-by-step pattern is full of color photographs to help you create this adorable winter ornament. For the project, I used my own SLDPK140 Snowflake Bevel-Cut Ornaments (SLDPK140) and some beautiful Aurora Borealis hot-fix rhinestones from Rhinestone Canada. I also added some beautiful snowflake charm embellishments that really finished the ornament off nicely. The charms are available on my Embellishments Page of my site. (Again - all updates will be later on today.) I really loved the look of this and plan on doing some winter bird ornaments later on this week that will have the same 'feel' as these. I think you will enjoy them.

The extra 'embellishments' have been very popular so far, and I just received a large shipment of new things to offer you from my supplier. Poor Keith has to add them all onto the site, but I promise - they will be worth it. I am so thrilled with the variety and high quality of these pieces and whether you do woodworking or painting, they make lovely accents at a very reasonable price that will really make your projects stand out. Here is a sneak peek of all the new pieces that will be available later on today.

Guitar accessory Font Art Musical instrument accessory String instrument accessory


I am adding a variety of hearts, as Valentine's Day is quickly approaching. But hearts are great for weddings, anniversaries, and just about any occasion. The cost for these is really reasonable and I just KNOW you are going to love the quality. I have lots of other themes to add throughout the year as well. I hope you stop by often to see what is new.

My final new project pattern is for these lovely seahorses. (SLDP250 Watercolor Seahorse)

Hair Head Jaw Organism Mammal


This beautiful pattern is geared for BEGINNERS and is a full lesson, with 37 color step-by-step photos to help even a new watercolor painter achieve success. I guarantee that it is much easier than you would think to create paintings like this. "Just one baby step at a time."

I used Mission Gold watercolors for my sample. I kept the palette to the colors that were available in the starter set that you can get at Art Apprentice Online. While looking up the link, I noticed that the set is ON SALE for a very good price. In researching watercolors before purchasing these, I found out that Mission Gold Watercolors are one of the best brands on the market. They are highly pigmented, have excellent archival qualities, and go a long, long way. If you are thinking of trying out watercolors, this would be a great place to start.

Well, I have certainly not been lost for words this morning. I suppose I had a lot of catching up to do. I am expecting my dust mask to arrive from Lee Valley Tools in the next couple of days and I will blog about that for my followers who cut wood. I made a vow to myself to use a dust mask ALWAYS when I am cutting in the shop. That is something that I have been sadly lax on doing.

I hope you have a good week ahead. We have about a foot and a half of snow here in Nova Scotia. This is the first significant snow of the year. It is supposed to melt within a couple of days though . . . we will see.

Happy Monday to you all and Happy New Year! May 2017 be your best year yet!
 

Attachments

#13,030 ·
Back to Blogging . . .

I realize it has been a long time since I posted a blog. To be honest with you all, it has been a rough couple of months. After losing my dear kitty and constant companion Pancakes suddenly early in December, the following week my other kitty Richard became gravely ill. The vet seems to think that his illness was triggered by the stress of losing Pancakes. Cats are very sensitive creatures. The combination of Pancakes just 'disappearing' and me being grief-stricken was something that he didn't understand. Since I have last posted, we have had Richard in and out of the emergency hospital twice. Both times he was also near death. We got him home on New Year's Eve and since then have watched him slowly recover. We are cautiously optimistic. Only time will tell.

As you can imagine, this took a great deal out of me. Not only was I mourning for Pancakes, but now worried about Rich. Under these circumstances, there was no way that I could function normally beyond doing the everyday tasks that were required to keep the business growing. I know most of you understand. Our pets are an important part of our lives and we love them like our own children.

I wish to thank you all again for your kind support and friendships during this time. I also want to thank you for your patience. I had many orders for both patterns and wood surfaces from friends who were very patient in receiving them - especially the wood pieces. While I usually aim to get my wood orders out in one or two days, it has taken me slightly longer. Between the holidays and the chaos of having to bring a sick kitty to the vet several times and the worry, I just couldn't keep up. But everyone was great and understanding and there were notes of support and care. I can't tell you how much that meant to me. We are a small, personal business and those of you who have been around a while know we do our best to do our best. But we are also 'human' and things happen to use just as they do to you and your family. Thank you for understanding that. We appreciate it so much.

So things are 'better' and we are once again moving in a good direction. I have taken the past week to reorganize and plan the new directions that I want to take the business in 2017. I am once again feeling good and excited about things and hopefully, we will have lots of fun projects and inspiration for all of you to enjoy. I will do my best.

We are going to be sending out our first newsletter of the year later on today. I will show a quick preview of all the new things that will be added to the site for those of you who aren't on our mailing list. I hope you consider joining it, as we will be trying to send a newsletter every other week or so to showcase all that is new. You can join by going to the Mailing List tab on our site. We don't share your information with anyone and don't SPAM you. We just like to keep you informed in case you don't read my blog.

To start off with, Keith has some new plaques for you all to enjoy. The first two were requests from customers that he thought would be something that everyone would enjoy. His SLDK703 US Army Special Forces and SLDK702 US Army Infantry plaque patterns are both in his ever-popular word-in-word style.

Rectangle Wood Grass Font Tints and shades


Green Rectangle Wood Font Grass


Both of these designs are nice for those of you with military customers or families.

The third design from Keith is also a word-in-word plaque pattern, but with an added twist.

Brown Rectangle Wood Font Nameplate


The SLDK704 Bless this House With Love and Laughter plaque pattern includes the two versions of the plaque shown - one in the traditional style and the other with the decorative header and footer. I really like the detail of the header and footer design. I think it adds to the plaque and that little accent really makes a nice difference. Both are really nice.

As for myself, I have some new painting patterns that I am now able to release. These have been previously released as online publications, but now I am able to sell the patterns on my own site. I actually have a new scroll saw pattern that I designed early in December. I even cut out all the pieces. I only need to paint them and make the pattern up and I should have that coming soon. Please don't lose faith in me. I have lots of new ideas for scrolling and painting patterns as well. My goal this year is to add to both venues on a regular basis. I know I can do it!

The first "new" painting pattern that will be available on my site is my SLDP253 Pumpkin with Winter Roses pattern.

Pumpkin Serveware Calabaza Porcelain Ornament


This is a lovely project to have out all winter long. The pretty rose design can easily be transferred to just about any surface. I could see this on trays, boxes, or plates. I actually have a full-length video for this project that I will be posting to my YouTube Channel in the next few days. It walks you through the full process of painting these fun and easy roses. I plan on posting many more of my instructional videos in the near future. I hope you subscribe to my channel so you can get notified when new material is available.

The next new project pattern that will be posted with this update is my SLDP254 Winter Bunny Snowflake Ornament pattern.

Rabbit Rabbits and Hares Hare Whiskers Fawn


This beautiful step-by-step pattern is full of color photographs to help you create this adorable winter ornament. For the project, I used my own SLDPK140 Snowflake Bevel-Cut Ornaments (SLDPK140) and some beautiful Aurora Borealis hot-fix rhinestones from Rhinestone Canada. I also added some beautiful snowflake charm embellishments that really finished the ornament off nicely. The charms are available on my Embellishments Page of my site. (Again - all updates will be later on today.) I really loved the look of this and plan on doing some winter bird ornaments later on this week that will have the same 'feel' as these. I think you will enjoy them.

The extra 'embellishments' have been very popular so far, and I just received a large shipment of new things to offer you from my supplier. Poor Keith has to add them all onto the site, but I promise - they will be worth it. I am so thrilled with the variety and high quality of these pieces and whether you do woodworking or painting, they make lovely accents at a very reasonable price that will really make your projects stand out. Here is a sneak peek of all the new pieces that will be available later on today.

Guitar accessory Font Art Musical instrument accessory String instrument accessory


I am adding a variety of hearts, as Valentine's Day is quickly approaching. But hearts are great for weddings, anniversaries, and just about any occasion. The cost for these is really reasonable and I just KNOW you are going to love the quality. I have lots of other themes to add throughout the year as well. I hope you stop by often to see what is new.

My final new project pattern is for these lovely seahorses. (SLDP250 Watercolor Seahorse)

Hair Head Jaw Organism Mammal


This beautiful pattern is geared for BEGINNERS and is a full lesson, with 37 color step-by-step photos to help even a new watercolor painter achieve success. I guarantee that it is much easier than you would think to create paintings like this. "Just one baby step at a time."

I used Mission Gold watercolors for my sample. I kept the palette to the colors that were available in the starter set that you can get at Art Apprentice Online. While looking up the link, I noticed that the set is ON SALE for a very good price. In researching watercolors before purchasing these, I found out that Mission Gold Watercolors are one of the best brands on the market. They are highly pigmented, have excellent archival qualities, and go a long, long way. If you are thinking of trying out watercolors, this would be a great place to start.

Well, I have certainly not been lost for words this morning. I suppose I had a lot of catching up to do. I am expecting my dust mask to arrive from Lee Valley Tools in the next couple of days and I will blog about that for my followers who cut wood. I made a vow to myself to use a dust mask ALWAYS when I am cutting in the shop. That is something that I have been sadly lax on doing.

I hope you have a good week ahead. We have about a foot and a half of snow here in Nova Scotia. This is the first significant snow of the year. It is supposed to melt within a couple of days though . . . we will see.

Happy Monday to you all and Happy New Year! May 2017 be your best year yet!
Glad to see that you are back. I'm sure that there are many others on LJ's who have also missed your postings.
Best wishes to you and your family for 2017.
 

Attachments

#13,036 ·
The Comfort of Routine

The older I get, the more I seem to enjoy the concept of 'familiarity'.

I will follow up that sentence with stating that I do NOT feel "that old". (Really!) I think that lately, though, the things that have come up unexpectedly have not exactly been things that I consider as 'pleasant'. I know that has nothing whatsoever to do with age, but for some reason, these days I don't feel quite as resilient as I have in the past. Is this due to circumstances? Or is it something that changes with time? Perhaps our life's experiences just seem to pile up on us as we age and because we have more memories to look back on, we tend to remember the most traumatic ones for the longest amount of time. I am not sure.

Can you tell I have been 'thinking' a lot? Maybe too much, I fear . . .

The concept of 'normal' is as different as each person who is asked to describe it. We all have our own version of what 'normal' is, and it changes daily. It changes as the things in our life change - like an ever-moving kaleidoscope. That is part of living.

But large changes usually occur over time and with some warning. We plan. We implement. We ready ourselves for growth and change. To me, this is part of the concept of normal and I think I handle it very well. After all, without growth, we would become bored and stagnant. No one in their mind would want that.

For myself, it is the huge, sudden changes that rock me to my core. These events often feel as if someone throws a bucket of ice water over our heads. (Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge not too long ago?) We feel stunned and uncomfortable and our daily routines are disrupted for quite a while in the wake of them.

While I know they are part of life and living, I realize that they are part of life's process. They need to be acknowledged, respected and even embraced if we are to live our lives to the fullest. We need 'highs' and 'lows' so we can feel the difference between them. More often than not, they are learning experiences and if we are lucky, we come out of some of our deepest tragedies with a better sense of understanding. And that is a good thing, right?

Last night I noticed that some of the small disrupted steps in my daily routine were gradually falling back into place. I blogged again. That was a good thing and something that I consciously did for myself. Later on, when I went to bed, Richard came upstairs with me as he had done before we lost Pancakes. He hadn't really been doing so since Pancakes died. Part of this was because he has been ill and part, I feel, was because he didn't understand that Pancakes was gone. He would come up into my bedroom and then he would circle around the room crying. He looked into the closet, under the bed and dresser and into the adjacent bathroom. I knew he was looking for Pancakes, as Pancakes used to be up there at night as well.

When he came up last night and began this ritual, I talked to him gently and told him "No more Pancakes". Our one vet had told us that we need to keep 'discussing' that Pancakes is gone, no matter how difficult it was. He said that cats really do understand and they need to be comforted as we do. I continued this discussion while he looked in the usual places. When he was done, he stopped in the middle of the floor, looked at me, and then came up onto the bed and snuggled in my arms. I told him over and over "It is going to be OK." as I petted him gently. He settled down.

A while later (as per our 'usual' routine) he jumped up and went downstairs. A few minutes later I heard him coming back upstairs, "meowing" as if he had something in his mouth. He jumped on the bed and presented me with the Little Pusheen knit toy that I keep on my desk.

Creative arts Grey Art Woolen Wool


I knew that things were getting back to 'normal' for him, too. This was something he had done nearly every day since the toy was given to me this summer, and hasn't done since Pancakes died. It was greatly comforting for me to know that Richard was healing, too.

I don't mean to drone on about things, but it will always amaze me at how our emotions can have such a strong influence on how we perceive each day of our lives. With all other factors being equal, it seems our emotions can easily dictate whether we have a 'good day' or a 'bad day'. By recognizing this and making an active effort to remain positive, I truly believe that our lives will be positive as well. While I realize that this can't always be the case (as those days and weeks after losing my beloved kitty) I do realize that allowing myself to experience the grief and respect that as part of the process helped me cope with the loss and move on. This didn't happen overnight, but as the word 'process' indicates, occurs over time. I don't think I will ever 'get over' my loss, but the degree of sadness I feel will not always be so high. It will eventually be replaced by the fond memories and good parts of having my little friend in my life. I will heal and remember him with joy and be grateful for our time together.

With that said, I am once again finding my 'creative self'' and getting back to doing positive things each day. I can't tell you how wonderful that feels!

I wanted to show another new pattern that Keith created. I had forgotten to mention it when I showed all the new things on our site in yesterday's post. This is a plaque that is part of Keith's Self-Framing Leaf Bordered wildlife series.

Vertebrate Rectangle Mammal Deer Art


It is a head shot of an elk and the pattern is available on the site here: SLDK243 I like the close-up head shot and I have encouraged Keith to create more patterns like this.

As for myself, I have been doing some 'relaxing' painting in between mailing packages and doing all the computer work for the update. For me, 'relaxing' usually entails creating something designed by someone else. I find comfort in having someone else tell me what to do for a change. (Even if I veer off and add my own touches!)

I decided to paint this lovely "Beeutiful Beehive Trio" pattern by Lynne Andrews:

Body jewelry Jewellery Necklace Font Metal


I had sent Lynne some of the small beehive ornament surfaces that I designed (SLDPK132 - Beehive Bevel-Cut Ornaments) and this is what she came up with. Aren't they wonderful? I LOVE working with other designers and I have some really special projects planned in the near future with Lynne! She is not only talented but also a kind, funny and wonderful person. Wait until you see what we came up with!

I used these pretty gold metal bee charms to accent the bottoms of the hives:

Body jewelry Gold Jewellery Pattern Religious item


They really make them look amazing and special. I have my set hanging on my message board next to my desk here in my studio and they will find their place on my little 'all season' tree this spring. It was the perfect project to make during this snowstorm we had over the weekend.

Finally, I wanted to share a photo of my little bunny ornaments that I showed in yesterday's post that my friend Gloria Steck painted.

Brown Rabbit Wood Ear Fawn


Gloria decided to paint the bunnies on these lovely heart-shaped candle holders. These will be fabulous for spring and even Easter! I can imagine that you can paint the background in some pretty pastel colors to match your mood to make them more 'springlike'. They really are lovely this way and I love seeing others enjoy my patterns.

Well, that is all for today. It appears I have another longer-than-normal post today. I suppose I have lots of thoughts to catch up with from the past month. Thanks for reading.

I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday. :)
 

Attachments

#13,037 ·
The Comfort of Routine

The older I get, the more I seem to enjoy the concept of 'familiarity'.

I will follow up that sentence with stating that I do NOT feel "that old". (Really!) I think that lately, though, the things that have come up unexpectedly have not exactly been things that I consider as 'pleasant'. I know that has nothing whatsoever to do with age, but for some reason, these days I don't feel quite as resilient as I have in the past. Is this due to circumstances? Or is it something that changes with time? Perhaps our life's experiences just seem to pile up on us as we age and because we have more memories to look back on, we tend to remember the most traumatic ones for the longest amount of time. I am not sure.

Can you tell I have been 'thinking' a lot? Maybe too much, I fear . . .

The concept of 'normal' is as different as each person who is asked to describe it. We all have our own version of what 'normal' is, and it changes daily. It changes as the things in our life change - like an ever-moving kaleidoscope. That is part of living.

But large changes usually occur over time and with some warning. We plan. We implement. We ready ourselves for growth and change. To me, this is part of the concept of normal and I think I handle it very well. After all, without growth, we would become bored and stagnant. No one in their mind would want that.

For myself, it is the huge, sudden changes that rock me to my core. These events often feel as if someone throws a bucket of ice water over our heads. (Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge not too long ago?) We feel stunned and uncomfortable and our daily routines are disrupted for quite a while in the wake of them.

While I know they are part of life and living, I realize that they are part of life's process. They need to be acknowledged, respected and even embraced if we are to live our lives to the fullest. We need 'highs' and 'lows' so we can feel the difference between them. More often than not, they are learning experiences and if we are lucky, we come out of some of our deepest tragedies with a better sense of understanding. And that is a good thing, right?

Last night I noticed that some of the small disrupted steps in my daily routine were gradually falling back into place. I blogged again. That was a good thing and something that I consciously did for myself. Later on, when I went to bed, Richard came upstairs with me as he had done before we lost Pancakes. He hadn't really been doing so since Pancakes died. Part of this was because he has been ill and part, I feel, was because he didn't understand that Pancakes was gone. He would come up into my bedroom and then he would circle around the room crying. He looked into the closet, under the bed and dresser and into the adjacent bathroom. I knew he was looking for Pancakes, as Pancakes used to be up there at night as well.

When he came up last night and began this ritual, I talked to him gently and told him "No more Pancakes". Our one vet had told us that we need to keep 'discussing' that Pancakes is gone, no matter how difficult it was. He said that cats really do understand and they need to be comforted as we do. I continued this discussion while he looked in the usual places. When he was done, he stopped in the middle of the floor, looked at me, and then came up onto the bed and snuggled in my arms. I told him over and over "It is going to be OK." as I petted him gently. He settled down.

A while later (as per our 'usual' routine) he jumped up and went downstairs. A few minutes later I heard him coming back upstairs, "meowing" as if he had something in his mouth. He jumped on the bed and presented me with the Little Pusheen knit toy that I keep on my desk.

Creative arts Grey Art Woolen Wool


I knew that things were getting back to 'normal' for him, too. This was something he had done nearly every day since the toy was given to me this summer, and hasn't done since Pancakes died. It was greatly comforting for me to know that Richard was healing, too.

I don't mean to drone on about things, but it will always amaze me at how our emotions can have such a strong influence on how we perceive each day of our lives. With all other factors being equal, it seems our emotions can easily dictate whether we have a 'good day' or a 'bad day'. By recognizing this and making an active effort to remain positive, I truly believe that our lives will be positive as well. While I realize that this can't always be the case (as those days and weeks after losing my beloved kitty) I do realize that allowing myself to experience the grief and respect that as part of the process helped me cope with the loss and move on. This didn't happen overnight, but as the word 'process' indicates, occurs over time. I don't think I will ever 'get over' my loss, but the degree of sadness I feel will not always be so high. It will eventually be replaced by the fond memories and good parts of having my little friend in my life. I will heal and remember him with joy and be grateful for our time together.

With that said, I am once again finding my 'creative self'' and getting back to doing positive things each day. I can't tell you how wonderful that feels!

I wanted to show another new pattern that Keith created. I had forgotten to mention it when I showed all the new things on our site in yesterday's post. This is a plaque that is part of Keith's Self-Framing Leaf Bordered wildlife series.

Vertebrate Rectangle Mammal Deer Art


It is a head shot of an elk and the pattern is available on the site here: SLDK243 I like the close-up head shot and I have encouraged Keith to create more patterns like this.

As for myself, I have been doing some 'relaxing' painting in between mailing packages and doing all the computer work for the update. For me, 'relaxing' usually entails creating something designed by someone else. I find comfort in having someone else tell me what to do for a change. (Even if I veer off and add my own touches!)

I decided to paint this lovely "Beeutiful Beehive Trio" pattern by Lynne Andrews:

Body jewelry Jewellery Necklace Font Metal


I had sent Lynne some of the small beehive ornament surfaces that I designed (SLDPK132 - Beehive Bevel-Cut Ornaments) and this is what she came up with. Aren't they wonderful? I LOVE working with other designers and I have some really special projects planned in the near future with Lynne! She is not only talented but also a kind, funny and wonderful person. Wait until you see what we came up with!

I used these pretty gold metal bee charms to accent the bottoms of the hives:

Body jewelry Gold Jewellery Pattern Religious item


They really make them look amazing and special. I have my set hanging on my message board next to my desk here in my studio and they will find their place on my little 'all season' tree this spring. It was the perfect project to make during this snowstorm we had over the weekend.

Finally, I wanted to share a photo of my little bunny ornaments that I showed in yesterday's post that my friend Gloria Steck painted.

Brown Rabbit Wood Ear Fawn


Gloria decided to paint the bunnies on these lovely heart-shaped candle holders. These will be fabulous for spring and even Easter! I can imagine that you can paint the background in some pretty pastel colors to match your mood to make them more 'springlike'. They really are lovely this way and I love seeing others enjoy my patterns.

Well, that is all for today. It appears I have another longer-than-normal post today. I suppose I have lots of thoughts to catch up with from the past month. Thanks for reading.

I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday. :)
I wish my two cats loved each other, The first cat hates the wild one and if he gets to near he yowls a warning and they have come to blows. Oh yes in my distress last night I for got to wish You HAPPY NEW YEAR. Oh its minus 23 here this morning and I don't think our 8 inches of snow will melt any time soon. Your painted projects are fantastic.
 

Attachments

#13,048 ·
Elipse Low-Profile Dust Mask Review

(I want to note that I am was in no way compensated for this review. I researched and purchased this mask on my own.)

In today's blog post, I am going to talk about something that I think is rather important. It is something that I have been lax on myself, but I made a vow with my woodworking friend (Leldon) that we are going to change things and try to do a bit better about it.

What I am referring to is wearing a dust mask when doing our woodworking and cutting wood.

Now I am not going to get all 'preachy' over this subject. I have been scroll sawing and doing woodworking for years and while I occasionally wear a mask when I do large orders, I found them to be hot and uncomfortable, and because they tend to fog up my glasses which I need to wear while working, sometimes even dangerous.

But lately, I have noticed that after a cutting session there has been a slight tingling and burning in the back of my nose and throat. The intelligent side of me knows that this isn't good. With all the wood orders that I have had in the past year, it was high time I did some footwork and gather some information as to how to best protect myself and my lungs from the poisonous particles that I was breathing in each time I was in my shop. I knew there must be someone who made a mask that was not only functional but also comfortable.

I watched a video by "The Wood Whisperer" about this subject and I was convinced more than ever that I needed to address this issue before I made myself sick. (You can watch the short video I saw here: )

Everything he said made sense. I would be foolish not to protect myself.

Just about that time, I received an email from LeeValley Tools. It was their bi-weekly ad that came to my email box, and in it, they featured an Elipse P100 Dust mask. I know that they are sometimes a little more expensive than other places, but not having many shopping options where I live and their excellent customer service added to the fact that they stand behind what they sell, I thought I would give it a try. I looked for reviews on this mask and found several. In every one of them, the mask had high marks. Here is one of the reviews that I watched:

The general consensus was that this was a good choice for a mask for my usage. One of the most important factors was that it didn't fog up your glasses like most masks did, yet sealed tightly against your face as well as comfortably.

I went to the LeeValley site and saw the mask was only $35 CDN and the replacement filters were only $15. (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=74167&cat=1,42207,43647) The filters were rated for one month of "continuous industrial use" which meant that with my using them only one or two days per week, they would last probably half a year. I thought I would give it a try.

I received my order on Monday, and yesterday I had some shop work to do. It would be a good opportunity to test this out for myself and see how tolerable it would be.

The mask was a bit smaller than I thought it would be.

Shipping box Rectangle Packaging and labeling Material property Carton


It came in a 'regular' size as well as a 'large'. I took a shot in the dark and figured my face was 'regular' so I went with that.

It was compact and lightweight and seemed very well made. I was a bit surprised at the nice quality for the relatively small price. In the past, I had spent nearly $10 on three paper masks that lasted anywhere from five minutes (the cheap elastics broke) to an hour or two. They were hot, uncomfortable and pretty much useless, as there were always gaps between them and my face, defeating the purpose of wearing a mask altogether. I liked that this mask had an exhale port on the front, as it directed the air much lower than the sides of the mask and I am sure contributed to the fact that your glasses were kept clear.

Gadget Finger Audio equipment Personal protective equipment Font


I also purchased a set of replacement filters. They are multi-layered and were also inexpensive given the lifetime that they profess.

Font Personal protective equipment Electric blue Magenta Audio equipment


I tried it on and it was indeed comfortable. I didn't feel like I was suffocating at all or that my breathing was restricted. I usually work with cordless, sound-cancelling headphones and play my favorite music while protecting my ears (it amazes me that I don't have to play the music loud at all to block out the noise of my saw, sander and shop vac!) I also wear reading glasses for all the close work that I do. This was where the real problem came in with using a mask. My glasses would always fog up from breathing and I would have trouble seeing what I was doing. That could be quite a hazard when working with power tools!

Hairstyle Vision care Eyewear Hearing Ear


I donned my gear and headed into the shop for a nice cutting session. After the first few minutes, I was totally unaware of the mask and the gear that I was wearing. It just seemed a part of me. The smaller, low-profile mask did not get into my field of vision when I looked down to scroll saw or sand. That is something that I found the larger masks sometimes did. The side ports protruded a great deal and they would block me from seeing what I was doing.

I noticed that even when cutting lots of MDF, I couldn't smell it at all. Not only was this mask rated for wood particles and dust, but airborne sprays as well. Not only was it effective, but it was surprisingly comfortable as well. I think I have a winner here.

As I said, I am not trying to preach or shame others into following suit. I am rather embarrassed in telling you how little I have worn masks in the 20+ years of me doing woodworking. I always used the usual excuses that I hear - "It is uncomfortable." "It is hot." "It fogs up my glasses." "I use a fan or dust collecting system to get the dust out of the air."

But what many don't realize is that it isn't the particles that we SEE that are the most dangerous, it is the tiny, microscopic particles that we don't that can hurt our lungs the most. While some may not want to be 'uncomfortable' when doing their woodworking, I would think that cancer is far more troublesome than wearing a mask would be. Especially when we have some really good choices such as this one.

People are going to do what they will. I realize that. But I feel that it is important for me to set an example to others in the woodworking field to at least consider wearing a mask while woodworking. With all the toxic chemicals used in MDF and plywood and all the toxic dust from hardwood, it is a wise decision to try my best to protect myself the best that I can. I hope you all think so as well.

I am glad that I started this practice. When I finished my cutting and sanding, I felt so much better about things. I didn't have to clear my nose and throat and felt much cleaner and I know I am ultimately healthier than if I didn't use a mask. It is a win/win all around.

I hope to see many of you join me.

Have a great Thursday!
 

Attachments

#13,049 ·
Elipse Low-Profile Dust Mask Review

(I want to note that I am was in no way compensated for this review. I researched and purchased this mask on my own.)

In today's blog post, I am going to talk about something that I think is rather important. It is something that I have been lax on myself, but I made a vow with my woodworking friend (Leldon) that we are going to change things and try to do a bit better about it.

What I am referring to is wearing a dust mask when doing our woodworking and cutting wood.

Now I am not going to get all 'preachy' over this subject. I have been scroll sawing and doing woodworking for years and while I occasionally wear a mask when I do large orders, I found them to be hot and uncomfortable, and because they tend to fog up my glasses which I need to wear while working, sometimes even dangerous.

But lately, I have noticed that after a cutting session there has been a slight tingling and burning in the back of my nose and throat. The intelligent side of me knows that this isn't good. With all the wood orders that I have had in the past year, it was high time I did some footwork and gather some information as to how to best protect myself and my lungs from the poisonous particles that I was breathing in each time I was in my shop. I knew there must be someone who made a mask that was not only functional but also comfortable.

I watched a video by "The Wood Whisperer" about this subject and I was convinced more than ever that I needed to address this issue before I made myself sick. (You can watch the short video I saw here: )

Everything he said made sense. I would be foolish not to protect myself.

Just about that time, I received an email from LeeValley Tools. It was their bi-weekly ad that came to my email box, and in it, they featured an Elipse P100 Dust mask. I know that they are sometimes a little more expensive than other places, but not having many shopping options where I live and their excellent customer service added to the fact that they stand behind what they sell, I thought I would give it a try. I looked for reviews on this mask and found several. In every one of them, the mask had high marks. Here is one of the reviews that I watched:

The general consensus was that this was a good choice for a mask for my usage. One of the most important factors was that it didn't fog up your glasses like most masks did, yet sealed tightly against your face as well as comfortably.

I went to the LeeValley site and saw the mask was only $35 CDN and the replacement filters were only $15. (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=74167&cat=1,42207,43647) The filters were rated for one month of "continuous industrial use" which meant that with my using them only one or two days per week, they would last probably half a year. I thought I would give it a try.

I received my order on Monday, and yesterday I had some shop work to do. It would be a good opportunity to test this out for myself and see how tolerable it would be.

The mask was a bit smaller than I thought it would be.

Shipping box Rectangle Packaging and labeling Material property Carton


It came in a 'regular' size as well as a 'large'. I took a shot in the dark and figured my face was 'regular' so I went with that.

It was compact and lightweight and seemed very well made. I was a bit surprised at the nice quality for the relatively small price. In the past, I had spent nearly $10 on three paper masks that lasted anywhere from five minutes (the cheap elastics broke) to an hour or two. They were hot, uncomfortable and pretty much useless, as there were always gaps between them and my face, defeating the purpose of wearing a mask altogether. I liked that this mask had an exhale port on the front, as it directed the air much lower than the sides of the mask and I am sure contributed to the fact that your glasses were kept clear.

Gadget Finger Audio equipment Personal protective equipment Font


I also purchased a set of replacement filters. They are multi-layered and were also inexpensive given the lifetime that they profess.

Font Personal protective equipment Electric blue Magenta Audio equipment


I tried it on and it was indeed comfortable. I didn't feel like I was suffocating at all or that my breathing was restricted. I usually work with cordless, sound-cancelling headphones and play my favorite music while protecting my ears (it amazes me that I don't have to play the music loud at all to block out the noise of my saw, sander and shop vac!) I also wear reading glasses for all the close work that I do. This was where the real problem came in with using a mask. My glasses would always fog up from breathing and I would have trouble seeing what I was doing. That could be quite a hazard when working with power tools!

Hairstyle Vision care Eyewear Hearing Ear


I donned my gear and headed into the shop for a nice cutting session. After the first few minutes, I was totally unaware of the mask and the gear that I was wearing. It just seemed a part of me. The smaller, low-profile mask did not get into my field of vision when I looked down to scroll saw or sand. That is something that I found the larger masks sometimes did. The side ports protruded a great deal and they would block me from seeing what I was doing.

I noticed that even when cutting lots of MDF, I couldn't smell it at all. Not only was this mask rated for wood particles and dust, but airborne sprays as well. Not only was it effective, but it was surprisingly comfortable as well. I think I have a winner here.

As I said, I am not trying to preach or shame others into following suit. I am rather embarrassed in telling you how little I have worn masks in the 20+ years of me doing woodworking. I always used the usual excuses that I hear - "It is uncomfortable." "It is hot." "It fogs up my glasses." "I use a fan or dust collecting system to get the dust out of the air."

But what many don't realize is that it isn't the particles that we SEE that are the most dangerous, it is the tiny, microscopic particles that we don't that can hurt our lungs the most. While some may not want to be 'uncomfortable' when doing their woodworking, I would think that cancer is far more troublesome than wearing a mask would be. Especially when we have some really good choices such as this one.

People are going to do what they will. I realize that. But I feel that it is important for me to set an example to others in the woodworking field to at least consider wearing a mask while woodworking. With all the toxic chemicals used in MDF and plywood and all the toxic dust from hardwood, it is a wise decision to try my best to protect myself the best that I can. I hope you all think so as well.

I am glad that I started this practice. When I finished my cutting and sanding, I felt so much better about things. I didn't have to clear my nose and throat and felt much cleaner and I know I am ultimately healthier than if I didn't use a mask. It is a win/win all around.

I hope to see many of you join me.

Have a great Thursday!
:) :) :) ho ho ho
now that is a buty in the shop :)
realy glad you finely are taking your health seriusly
that mask realy looks good
just be aware of when the filters are glogging up
or if you are using filters for paintjob then they have limit lifespan after they have been exposed to air
and most be aware off how long time you are using them every time
do to it craves a little more off your lunges to breath through a mask
just something the so called smartbrained people have found out off just like if you work proffessionel
on a latter every day here in this country you can only do it 20 minuts every day …... ?
taking care of your self is not a dum thing to do but is very wisely of you
every time I use any maschinery as minimum I use ear protection . have learned it the hard way I lost
some off my hearing in the army on the shooting range back then
have a very nice day in the shop :)

Dennis
 

Attachments

#13,057 ·
Finished Sloth Pastel Drawing

Last month, I was thrown a bit off track by life's events. It happens to the best of us. We set our goals.We work to achieve them. And then as we are rolling right along . . . BAM! "Life" gets in the way. It is just part of living.

As I get older, I am figuring out that the more resilient and flexible that I am, the easier things are. I have watched family and friends who are perhaps a little bit rigid in their thinking struggle because things aren't quite the same as they were before or things didn't go exactly as planned. Many times, the things that they are upset about aren't things that really matter in the long run. If the table isn't set quite right or if we didn't get all the decorations up that we had intended, who's to notice? Certainly not the people that we were inviting to our home. The way I look at it, if they DID notice or say something, they wouldn't be the type of people that I would want over in the first place.

My dear friend Cari and I used to 'displace' holidays often. She was my best friend throughout the years when my children were young. She lived a couple of houses down the street from me when I lived in the suburbs of Chicago and we were together nearly ever day - including holidays, birthdays and special occasions.

Cari was a Surgical Open Heart Nurse at the local hospital. Many of her working hours were during the weekends and holidays. Part of being friends meant that we covered for each other with our young children. She would watch my kids when I was really busy and I would help with hers. It was part of being friends. But because of the many occasions when she had to work on an actual holiday, we learned to 'displace' our celebrations and do what we could when it was convenient for all of us. It was far better than leaving someone out.

Cari passed away from cancer several years ago, but many of those things we did together remain with me. It is funny how you learn to prioritize things when hanging around nurses. (I had many friends who were nurses. I don't know why. It just worked out that way.) I think when you realize that saving a life is more important than having a correct table setting or celebrating something on a particular day, things come into perspective. You loosen up. You learn to be grateful for things like good health and your kids being safe and warm. Most of all, you learn that when you do the best you can, that is good enough - even if you didn't accomplish all you set out to accomplish. Being kind to yourself is far more important than meeting self-imposed deadlines.

With that said, I decided to work on my sloth pastel drawing that I was creating for my daughter, Danielle. Dani loves sloths, and she had asked me last year to create a picture of one for her. I was naturally flattered that she would want something that I drew or painted, and did my best to work it into my schedule of creating.

I had a good start and had intended to be done with it for her Christmas present, but when things derailed in early December, I just wasn't in the mood to create. It got sidelined, as much of what I was working on did, and now that I am feeling better, I thought it was time to finish it up. It was time.

Here is a photo of where I left off in the drawing:

Wood Fawn Terrestrial animal Snout Trunk


You can see that I was nearly done, only to have the arms to complete. The drawing is done on charcoal colored Pastelmat board, using CarbOthello pastel pencils by Stablio and Conte a Paris pastel crayons. The size of the drawing is 5" x 7".

It took me a little bit to get back into the rhythm of this drawing, and I still may 'fine tune' it a little bit. But for the most part, I will call it "done."

Primate Green Organism Plant Fawn


Here is a comparison between my drawing and the reference photo:

Nature Green Botany Organism White-headed capuchin


(My drawing (of course!) is on the right.)

This was my second attempt at using pastels and I really did like the result. They are much quicker than the colored pencils are and I like that you can layer lights over the darks so easily. The Pastelmat board is a MUST, though. Other papers just don't take the necessary layers that are needed to give the drawings depth and dimension.

I hope you like seeing this finished up. It felt good to check it off of my list of things to do. As I said, I may tweak the drawing a little more and add some lights onto the arms, but for the most part, I will call this "complete."

On to my next creation . . .

Happy Friday to you all!
 

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#13,058 ·
Finished Sloth Pastel Drawing

Last month, I was thrown a bit off track by life's events. It happens to the best of us. We set our goals.We work to achieve them. And then as we are rolling right along . . . BAM! "Life" gets in the way. It is just part of living.

As I get older, I am figuring out that the more resilient and flexible that I am, the easier things are. I have watched family and friends who are perhaps a little bit rigid in their thinking struggle because things aren't quite the same as they were before or things didn't go exactly as planned. Many times, the things that they are upset about aren't things that really matter in the long run. If the table isn't set quite right or if we didn't get all the decorations up that we had intended, who's to notice? Certainly not the people that we were inviting to our home. The way I look at it, if they DID notice or say something, they wouldn't be the type of people that I would want over in the first place.

My dear friend Cari and I used to 'displace' holidays often. She was my best friend throughout the years when my children were young. She lived a couple of houses down the street from me when I lived in the suburbs of Chicago and we were together nearly ever day - including holidays, birthdays and special occasions.

Cari was a Surgical Open Heart Nurse at the local hospital. Many of her working hours were during the weekends and holidays. Part of being friends meant that we covered for each other with our young children. She would watch my kids when I was really busy and I would help with hers. It was part of being friends. But because of the many occasions when she had to work on an actual holiday, we learned to 'displace' our celebrations and do what we could when it was convenient for all of us. It was far better than leaving someone out.

Cari passed away from cancer several years ago, but many of those things we did together remain with me. It is funny how you learn to prioritize things when hanging around nurses. (I had many friends who were nurses. I don't know why. It just worked out that way.) I think when you realize that saving a life is more important than having a correct table setting or celebrating something on a particular day, things come into perspective. You loosen up. You learn to be grateful for things like good health and your kids being safe and warm. Most of all, you learn that when you do the best you can, that is good enough - even if you didn't accomplish all you set out to accomplish. Being kind to yourself is far more important than meeting self-imposed deadlines.

With that said, I decided to work on my sloth pastel drawing that I was creating for my daughter, Danielle. Dani loves sloths, and she had asked me last year to create a picture of one for her. I was naturally flattered that she would want something that I drew or painted, and did my best to work it into my schedule of creating.

I had a good start and had intended to be done with it for her Christmas present, but when things derailed in early December, I just wasn't in the mood to create. It got sidelined, as much of what I was working on did, and now that I am feeling better, I thought it was time to finish it up. It was time.

Here is a photo of where I left off in the drawing:

Wood Fawn Terrestrial animal Snout Trunk


You can see that I was nearly done, only to have the arms to complete. The drawing is done on charcoal colored Pastelmat board, using CarbOthello pastel pencils by Stablio and Conte a Paris pastel crayons. The size of the drawing is 5" x 7".

It took me a little bit to get back into the rhythm of this drawing, and I still may 'fine tune' it a little bit. But for the most part, I will call it "done."

Primate Green Organism Plant Fawn


Here is a comparison between my drawing and the reference photo:

Nature Green Botany Organism White-headed capuchin


(My drawing (of course!) is on the right.)

This was my second attempt at using pastels and I really did like the result. They are much quicker than the colored pencils are and I like that you can layer lights over the darks so easily. The Pastelmat board is a MUST, though. Other papers just don't take the necessary layers that are needed to give the drawings depth and dimension.

I hope you like seeing this finished up. It felt good to check it off of my list of things to do. As I said, I may tweak the drawing a little more and add some lights onto the arms, but for the most part, I will call this "complete."

On to my next creation . . .

Happy Friday to you all!
Your sloth is awesome! I like it better than the photo!
 

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#13,061 ·
Back to Creating

I spent the long weekend working on a new painting pattern set. While I have had this idea in my head for quite a while now, I had to just bring myself to do it. I don't know why I am always so timid about jumping into a new project. There is sometimes a fear that it won't come out like I envisioned it in my head. You would think that after all of these years of designing that I would be over those fears and have more confidence than that. But that isn't always the case.

I find that I am drawn to the soft, pale blue tones of winter. Every year around this time when I am designing projects, I tend to gravitate to the same tonal color palette. When I am asked what my favorite color is, I usually respond with something in the 'blue-green' family, such as turquoise or teal. But for winter artwork, I love to use muted tones of blues and grays. Cool tones to represent the quiet calm of winter. I suppose it is all connected to mood.

The bunny snowflake that I showed last week is an example of this. I loved the way that turned out so much that I wanted to create a set of winter birds with similar colors. While I have other ideas for a set (or several) of polar animals in similar tonal settings, I also wanted to show a set of birds. Unlike the animals that tend to blend in with their backgrounds, these birds offer a striking contrast to their surroundings. I thought this would make some lovely ornaments and marry the elements of the subtle, soft backgrounds with the vivid subjects of each piece. Below is my result:

Bird Dishware Beak Serveware Creative arts


You can order the ornaments from me here: SLDPK130. Of course, these don't have to be made into ornaments. I think that they would be lovely on any type of framed surface. The simple backgrounds are easy to extend into just about any shape, and they would also look nice in other media such as colored pencil or even watercolors for those who are adventurous.

I haven't quite completed them yet. I still have the final embellishments to add on to them and the final touches. These last steps will make them truly special, I think. I hope they are received well. I will show them tomorrow after they are complete.

I need to re-paint them now for the pattern packet. This way I can take step-by-step photos of the process so that I can better teach the technique that I use. It is really simple when broken down into steps, and very forgiving. I hope to have the packets available by the weekend.

We spent our Monday doing errands. Unlike the USA, Canada did not have a holiday yesterday. We had to go to Yarmouth and shop and stock up on things. That took just about the entire day and I didn't accomplish much work-wise.

My kitty Richard had a small setback over the weekend, too. That kind of threw me for a loop, as it put my nerves on edge again. Once again, our vet came through and after a good discussion with him, I came to realize that I need to prepare myself for good days and not so good days with Richard. It is part of what afflicts him. I can't fall apart every time he has a setback and just need to know how to work with things to get him back to a good place. As with most things in life, it isn't all black and white. Much of what we will experience will be somewhere in the gray areas. The goal is keeping him comfortable and happy and having the remainder of his life as good as possible. I was happy to see him doing lots of "cat things" when we returned home. He was active and playing and acting more like himself. His little 'hiccup' has passed he is back to his calm and happy place. We hope it stays that way.

Again I want to thank everyone for your kind notes, comments and even gifts regarding my kitties. As pet lovers, you understand the huge amount of stress and distraction that we have when our fur babies are ill. I appreciate everyone's patience, and I promise that I am trying my best to get back on my feet again and find my way back to my "pink cloud" way of life. I enjoy the role of being an optimist. Sometimes we need to 'act happy' to 'be happy'. I am giving it my all.

With that said, it is up to the shop for me today to cut orders. I will then finish up my embellishments on these mittens and then re-paint them for the pattern packets. I think that by breaking them down into simple steps, any of you can do them. :)

I hope you agree.

Have a beautiful and creative Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#13,062 ·
Back to Creating

I spent the long weekend working on a new painting pattern set. While I have had this idea in my head for quite a while now, I had to just bring myself to do it. I don't know why I am always so timid about jumping into a new project. There is sometimes a fear that it won't come out like I envisioned it in my head. You would think that after all of these years of designing that I would be over those fears and have more confidence than that. But that isn't always the case.

I find that I am drawn to the soft, pale blue tones of winter. Every year around this time when I am designing projects, I tend to gravitate to the same tonal color palette. When I am asked what my favorite color is, I usually respond with something in the 'blue-green' family, such as turquoise or teal. But for winter artwork, I love to use muted tones of blues and grays. Cool tones to represent the quiet calm of winter. I suppose it is all connected to mood.

The bunny snowflake that I showed last week is an example of this. I loved the way that turned out so much that I wanted to create a set of winter birds with similar colors. While I have other ideas for a set (or several) of polar animals in similar tonal settings, I also wanted to show a set of birds. Unlike the animals that tend to blend in with their backgrounds, these birds offer a striking contrast to their surroundings. I thought this would make some lovely ornaments and marry the elements of the subtle, soft backgrounds with the vivid subjects of each piece. Below is my result:

Bird Dishware Beak Serveware Creative arts


You can order the ornaments from me here: SLDPK130. Of course, these don't have to be made into ornaments. I think that they would be lovely on any type of framed surface. The simple backgrounds are easy to extend into just about any shape, and they would also look nice in other media such as colored pencil or even watercolors for those who are adventurous.

I haven't quite completed them yet. I still have the final embellishments to add on to them and the final touches. These last steps will make them truly special, I think. I hope they are received well. I will show them tomorrow after they are complete.

I need to re-paint them now for the pattern packet. This way I can take step-by-step photos of the process so that I can better teach the technique that I use. It is really simple when broken down into steps, and very forgiving. I hope to have the packets available by the weekend.

We spent our Monday doing errands. Unlike the USA, Canada did not have a holiday yesterday. We had to go to Yarmouth and shop and stock up on things. That took just about the entire day and I didn't accomplish much work-wise.

My kitty Richard had a small setback over the weekend, too. That kind of threw me for a loop, as it put my nerves on edge again. Once again, our vet came through and after a good discussion with him, I came to realize that I need to prepare myself for good days and not so good days with Richard. It is part of what afflicts him. I can't fall apart every time he has a setback and just need to know how to work with things to get him back to a good place. As with most things in life, it isn't all black and white. Much of what we will experience will be somewhere in the gray areas. The goal is keeping him comfortable and happy and having the remainder of his life as good as possible. I was happy to see him doing lots of "cat things" when we returned home. He was active and playing and acting more like himself. His little 'hiccup' has passed he is back to his calm and happy place. We hope it stays that way.

Again I want to thank everyone for your kind notes, comments and even gifts regarding my kitties. As pet lovers, you understand the huge amount of stress and distraction that we have when our fur babies are ill. I appreciate everyone's patience, and I promise that I am trying my best to get back on my feet again and find my way back to my "pink cloud" way of life. I enjoy the role of being an optimist. Sometimes we need to 'act happy' to 'be happy'. I am giving it my all.

With that said, it is up to the shop for me today to cut orders. I will then finish up my embellishments on these mittens and then re-paint them for the pattern packets. I think that by breaking them down into simple steps, any of you can do them. :)

I hope you agree.

Have a beautiful and creative Tuesday!
Good to hear that Richard is back to doing "cat things". I hope that you all have a wonderful day together.
;)
 

Attachments

#13,065 ·
It's All in the Details

It really feels good to get back to creating. The last month and a half went by so quickly. Between the holidays and the chaos of having my beloved pets ill, it seemed that with a blink of an eye the month of December and now most of January is behind us. I wish I could say that I was more productive. But I spent my time doing what needed to be done and taking the time I needed to deal with these personal things.

I know I am working my way to a better place because there are so many ideas that are creeping back into my head. I have even been able to sit with my embroidery in the evening to wind down. It is a relief to see this happening, as I was beginning to wonder if I would ever feel the same again. Little by little the 'pink cloud' is returning and along with that, my optimism. I am learning that experiencing illness and death is part of life, and it only serves to help me appreciate the good days even more. It is easy to be optimistic when things are going well. But much more difficult to do so when things are not so good. That is when we need to reach inside ourselves and try to focus on the things we do feel good about in our lives and embrace them with all we have. It helps pull us through our darkest days.

I finished up my SLDP256 Winter Songbird Mittens project yesterday. The last time I showed them to you, the main painting was done on them and they looked nice, but I knew I wanted to add some other touches to make them look even better. I had a vision in my mind as to how I pictured these, and they were close, but not quite there. It was fun to put the final touches on them and see them come to life.

My friend Vera was a great encouragement for this project. I had mentioned to her that I was thinking of painting some winter birds and she was probably my biggest cheerleader. She "gently" kept reminding me to get moving on them whenever we talked or posted on Facebook, and it was just the push I needed to indeed get moving and get something accomplished. Good friends are like that. They know when to push and when to back off.

I had many winter animal and bird ideas for these mittens, but for this first set I chose the English Robin:

Feather Dishware Art Jewellery Serveware


The Bluejay:

Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Ornament Creative arts Body jewelry


And a Cardinal:

Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Ornament Creative arts Feather


I thought this trio would make a beautiful combination for a set of lovely little mittens. I have several other ideas for animals and birds and may expand on it later, but for now, this is a nice representation of how I pictured the project.

Since my last photos, I decided to add some metallic silver shading around the oval frame of the mitten. You can't see in the photo, but I also did this to the sides of the pieces. I then painted two coats of DecoArt Glamour Dust paint in Silver over these areas to look like sparkly silver sugar. The effect is subtle, but in person, they are really beautiful. (I used all the beautiful DecoArt Americana paints for this project.) I then used some silver wire for the hanger, along with a couple of pretty silver metal charms. I added a glass snowflake aurora borealis charm for a beautiful glimmer and finished the mittens off with a white boa cuff.

I had debated on whether to use the boa on my mitten or not. I didn't want it to overpower the design. But when I considered painting a fur cuff on the edge, I knew it just wouldn't have the same impact as the feathered boa does. I did have to trim my boa a little bit to shorten the feathers. That worked fine and while it was a little messy, it vacuumed up very quickly. The result is a fun piece, which is filled with textures and interest. The striking contrast of the birds against the soft backgrounds allows them to still be the center of attention, even with all the embellishments. I am happy with the project.

Hat Cap Fur clothing Costume hat Event


Today I will be writing the instructions. In order to do this properly, I will be painting the mittens again so I can take step-by-step photos for the pattern. I really believe that anyone can do this project successfully - even if they are a newer painter. I also plan on offering a 'kit' for this project which will include the pattern, wood pieces, wire, and charms. I decided not to include the boa in the kit because they are available very cheaply on Amazon or in local fabric stores. It would be cheaper and easier for people to get those themselves.

So that is my plan for today. Keith also has been working on some new patterns and put a new scroll saw pattern up on the site last night:

Brown Rectangle Font Art Tree


It is an addition to his "Self-Framing Leaf Bordered" series and it is (as you can see) a Howling Wolf (SLDK244) He is also working on another project and we should have that up on the site by the update later on this weekend. We hope you all enjoy it.

After what seems like an eternity of 'time off' at our busy season, it feels great to be productive again. While working doesn't remove all the sadness in my heart of late, it does help me put things in a good perspective. If I focus on the positive things in my life, they will certainly remind me that I have much to be grateful for. I can't forget that.

Have a wonderful Thursday.
 

Attachments

#13,066 ·
It's All in the Details

It really feels good to get back to creating. The last month and a half went by so quickly. Between the holidays and the chaos of having my beloved pets ill, it seemed that with a blink of an eye the month of December and now most of January is behind us. I wish I could say that I was more productive. But I spent my time doing what needed to be done and taking the time I needed to deal with these personal things.

I know I am working my way to a better place because there are so many ideas that are creeping back into my head. I have even been able to sit with my embroidery in the evening to wind down. It is a relief to see this happening, as I was beginning to wonder if I would ever feel the same again. Little by little the 'pink cloud' is returning and along with that, my optimism. I am learning that experiencing illness and death is part of life, and it only serves to help me appreciate the good days even more. It is easy to be optimistic when things are going well. But much more difficult to do so when things are not so good. That is when we need to reach inside ourselves and try to focus on the things we do feel good about in our lives and embrace them with all we have. It helps pull us through our darkest days.

I finished up my SLDP256 Winter Songbird Mittens project yesterday. The last time I showed them to you, the main painting was done on them and they looked nice, but I knew I wanted to add some other touches to make them look even better. I had a vision in my mind as to how I pictured these, and they were close, but not quite there. It was fun to put the final touches on them and see them come to life.

My friend Vera was a great encouragement for this project. I had mentioned to her that I was thinking of painting some winter birds and she was probably my biggest cheerleader. She "gently" kept reminding me to get moving on them whenever we talked or posted on Facebook, and it was just the push I needed to indeed get moving and get something accomplished. Good friends are like that. They know when to push and when to back off.

I had many winter animal and bird ideas for these mittens, but for this first set I chose the English Robin:

Feather Dishware Art Jewellery Serveware


The Bluejay:

Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Ornament Creative arts Body jewelry


And a Cardinal:

Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Ornament Creative arts Feather


I thought this trio would make a beautiful combination for a set of lovely little mittens. I have several other ideas for animals and birds and may expand on it later, but for now, this is a nice representation of how I pictured the project.

Since my last photos, I decided to add some metallic silver shading around the oval frame of the mitten. You can't see in the photo, but I also did this to the sides of the pieces. I then painted two coats of DecoArt Glamour Dust paint in Silver over these areas to look like sparkly silver sugar. The effect is subtle, but in person, they are really beautiful. (I used all the beautiful DecoArt Americana paints for this project.) I then used some silver wire for the hanger, along with a couple of pretty silver metal charms. I added a glass snowflake aurora borealis charm for a beautiful glimmer and finished the mittens off with a white boa cuff.

I had debated on whether to use the boa on my mitten or not. I didn't want it to overpower the design. But when I considered painting a fur cuff on the edge, I knew it just wouldn't have the same impact as the feathered boa does. I did have to trim my boa a little bit to shorten the feathers. That worked fine and while it was a little messy, it vacuumed up very quickly. The result is a fun piece, which is filled with textures and interest. The striking contrast of the birds against the soft backgrounds allows them to still be the center of attention, even with all the embellishments. I am happy with the project.

Hat Cap Fur clothing Costume hat Event


Today I will be writing the instructions. In order to do this properly, I will be painting the mittens again so I can take step-by-step photos for the pattern. I really believe that anyone can do this project successfully - even if they are a newer painter. I also plan on offering a 'kit' for this project which will include the pattern, wood pieces, wire, and charms. I decided not to include the boa in the kit because they are available very cheaply on Amazon or in local fabric stores. It would be cheaper and easier for people to get those themselves.

So that is my plan for today. Keith also has been working on some new patterns and put a new scroll saw pattern up on the site last night:

Brown Rectangle Font Art Tree


It is an addition to his "Self-Framing Leaf Bordered" series and it is (as you can see) a Howling Wolf (SLDK244) He is also working on another project and we should have that up on the site by the update later on this weekend. We hope you all enjoy it.

After what seems like an eternity of 'time off' at our busy season, it feels great to be productive again. While working doesn't remove all the sadness in my heart of late, it does help me put things in a good perspective. If I focus on the positive things in my life, they will certainly remind me that I have much to be grateful for. I can't forget that.

Have a wonderful Thursday.
Love the birds, Friend of mine Shawna Wright self taught water color, has been doing bird pictures, and made them into a calendar, the last two years. First attempts. Might check that out for fun. I just put shawna wright art into google and came up with images etc. I was staying at their place when I did the butterfly.
 

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#13,068 ·
Some Updates for Our Site

Good day to you all. I am still in my 'organizational mode' here and I am sorry to say that I have been so busy that is has been difficult to find time to blog. Add to that the many wood orders I have been receiving (thank you!) and the fact that both Keith and I are fighting this cold/flu thingy that is going around, and you will understand why I haven't posted. It has been a crazy month to start out the new year, to say the least.

Our kitty Richard is doing better, though, so that is a relief. So many of you have been wonderful and have asked about his progress. I think we are finally past the severe liver infection he had and all of the subsequent damage that had caused him. At least things seem to have settled down in that department so that is one worry we can check off the list. It is with 'guarded optimism' that I say that he is well on the road to recovery. Yay for that!

Through all of our cutting and coughing and blowing our noses, we have still been able to do some work that has kept us busy. I think that is one good thing about being self-employed. We get to slow things down a little when we aren't feeling our best and for the most part, it can go unnoticed. After spending the weekend finishing up my SLDP256 Winter Songbirds Painting pattern, I spent a couple of days packaging and mailing out orders. While everyone was wonderful about taking my time to get them out, I knew for myself that I have other things on deck and wanted to get them filled and shipped as quickly as possible. It felt good to be so busy.

Keith worked on some new things as well this past week. He not only has a new free pattern posted on our site, but he also has a new welcome sign that can be personalized to fill your own needs.

I'll start with the new free pattern . . .

We really try to change our new free patterns periodically, but sometimes that task falls to the bottom of the list. We are so fortunate that we are busy. We always appreciate that and wouldn't have it any other way.

You can go to our Free Patterns & Resources page to find the new free scroll saw pattern:



I think it is a cool and fun sign that can be used in a variety of ways. We hope you enjoy it.

Keith's next new scroll saw pattern is a beautiful and elegant welcome sign that can be personalized by you to hold your family name, address numbers or any appropriate greeting. (SLDK705)



This pattern comes with a full alphabet so you can change the pattern to accommodate whatever suits your fancy (within reason.) It's clean cut lines and pretty lettering would fit in just about any decor. We hope you enjoy it.

As for myself, I finished the pattern for the SLDP266 Winter Songbird Mittens painting pattern and everything has been shipping out.



The pattern is 19 pages long with over 30 step-by-step photos so that even the newest painter can create these lovely mittens. I decided last weekend to do a "pre-order" on the patterns and the Super Combo Kit (SLDPS256) which includes the pattern, the wood pieces, the charms and the silver wire for hanging. The only thing I didn't include in it was the fur. The response was tremendous and I spent the past week cutting and filling out orders. I am all caught up now though and ready to move ahead to other projects and orders. So it was a great week.

Finally, for today's post, I wanted to give a little sneak peek of the next project that I am doing with the very talented Lynne Andrews. Lynne and I had so much fun with the "12 Days of Christmas" series that I have been showing you all, that we decided to do another year-long project. This time we are painting a series of "Noah's Ark" designs that we think will be sure to be fun and delightful for those of you who paint and the recipients alike. The Noah's Ark theme lends itself not only to children but also to just about any spiritual setting. Lynne's wonderful talent and adorable critters will certainly make this series one that you will cherish for generations to come.

In the series, there is a larger, plaque -sized Ark which will show Noah and several animals. This plaque can be used on its own as a decoration, or as the centerpiece of the entire series. In addition to the large piece, there will be 12 smaller Ark ornaments that will somewhat depict a theme for each month. (i.e. January- polar bear, February - moose with hearts, March - Raccoon with shamrocks, April - Bunny, etc.) Each design in itself is fabulous!



Lynne is still creating the 12 ornaments at this time and I am designing a Prim type dowel tree that can be used to display everything, but those will come later on. For now, we are planning to kick off this project in early March and start the creating process. I am in the process of setting up a Facebook Group in which we can all paint together, as we did with our "12 Days" projects. Lynne will be there to moderate with me as well as Vera and Lynn who helped with the "12 Days". We will have videos and articles with tips and techniques and as with our other group, we will have the support of our fellow painters so that we all have a wonderful, positive and successful painting experience. I hope you join us!

I have the surfaces ready to purchase up on my site right now so if you are interested, you can order them and be ready. The SLDPK157 is for the set of three two-piece, bevel-cut ornaments and the SLDPK158 is for the larger two-piece plaque. I ask that you order as soon as you decide so I can work on getting the pieces to you as soon as possible. I have no idea how many will be ordered, but as always, I will do my best to get you your pieces in a timely manner. Since each piece is hand-made, it does take a little time. I am so happy that you understand that.

Lynne tells me that the patterns will be available on her site (www.lynneandrews.com) by the beginning of March. I will not be selling her patterns, but I am sure you will enjoy shopping at her site. She has so many other wonderful patterns as well, and I know you will want to get several of them.

So that should about do it for today. I am sending out a newsletter to our Subscribers later on today to announce these new project patterns, surfaces, and sales. If you are on our list, please look for them by the end of the day.

It is good to get back into the swing of things. I hope to be posting more here as things get back into a routine. But for now, I just post when I can. I wish you all a wonderful day and a happy weekend ahead.

Happy Friday to you all!
 
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