There's no place like HOME for the Holidays....

I was reading my friend Roseann's blog, Rosebud's Cottage , and she was talking about some childhood memories of the holidays. We have been so busy trying to get ready for this move that I don't even think the holidays have registered for us yet. But reading Roseann's blog and seeing the great pictures got me thinking about where we will be this year, AFTER the move from h#ll (it's not the place we are going to , it's the timing of it all). Once the boxes are packed and we've made a pit stop at fort Drum, we will be making a cross country trip HOME.....

Where's home?

Here's a clue, just in case that picture above of downtown's world famous Riverwalk all decked out didn't give it away, this one below should....

San Antonio, Texas....where our roots are deep (and yes, we remember the Alamo- lol!). Mr. Sunshine (as the dh shall be know as from now on- if you know him, this should amuse you!) and I grew up here (but he doesn't let me live down the fact that I am not a NATIVE, just got there as soon as I could!), courted here, got married here. Most of our family is still within a 250 mile radius of San Antonio, so when we go home, we get to see them all....It's a soft place to land and I am so looking forward to it this year. Homemade cookies and tamales (not toether! ), balmy weather (at least compared to upstate NY), nieces and nephews, cousins and parents and fur babies too (cant't wait to see Zack and Brandy, my most favorite Labs in the world), laughter and stories...everything I want for Christmas!

Where will you be this year?

What a Beautiful City I live in....for Just a bit Longer!

Well that visit from my in-laws I mentioned also coincided with my purchase of a new toy- a Canon Power Shot camera (S5 IS, if that means anything to anyone-lol!). It's got all sorts of bells and whistles and took a bit to get used to, but I have been having quite allot of fun learning how to use it. By no means am I an expert yet, but things are improving....

I took quite a few pictures of this beautiful city during my in-laws' visit. Thought I would share a few.....

I am sad that we were only here for two years (and there were some rough family times that ate up a good portion of that time)...didn't see near the stuff thatwe could have....But I WILL NOT miss the traffic and commotion that this town produces!! If you have ever even driven through DC, you may have an idea of what I'm talking about...the hectic pace of life and daily congestion (on the roads, in the stores, everywhere) that comes with a big city are just not for me....too much visual stimulation, if that makes sense....

Anyway, on to the pictures....

Can you guess the hand? Shouldn't be too hard, if you think about where I am...my feeble attempt at being "artsy" with my pictures...there will be a few more of these....

Yep- Ol' Honest Abe Himself....these are our pictures from the Mall. It was a very dreary day, but when you're on vacation, sometimes you can't wait for the sunshine.... The view from Abe's seat....

The Viet Nam Vet's Memorial..."The Wall"....this is probably the most moving place on the Mall. People really stop and study the names...

I had to wait quite a bit to get this picture with no one studying the writing, even on a blustery day....

This was not the only flag left that day....

I have many more but this will have to be continued...Like the Dwarves....Hi- Ho, Hi- Ho, it's off to work I go.....

My, MY....How time flies....

Well now that was quite a "Blog-iday" I took, wasn't it? I have been busy, and unfortuantely when you're extremely busy, something's gotta give. My poor blog was the victim this time.....

Allot has happened since my last post...

My wonderful in-laws visited us here in DC. We had a very nice two weeks- did all the sights in the area and took a day trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, home of the famous Civil War Battle. I love that place. To this day, you just feel the importance of what happened there during the Civil War. And the scenery is just to die for- a visual picnic for a primitive artist.....

A few of the great old houses....

One of many MANY beautiful monuments...this one was dedicated to General Robert E. Lee...

And this is my son in the "Devil's Den", quite appropriately named for more reason than one...because this is where my soldier husband got the call that we would be MOVING in less than two months! So now you know exactly WHY I have been so busy....

In seventeen years with the military, we have moved...allot....but usually we have some inkling that a move is impending. This was completely unexpected, out of the blue, shocking....whatever you want to call it, it was the first time we have felt like we've been hit by a Mack truck on a beautiful Saturday afternooon....an experience I don't care to repeat if I'm completely honest....

Soooooo......

It seems come mid-December, we'll be loading up the truck.....and moving to.....

NEW YORK.....

A VERY quick note:

Just wanted to update my music situation....Seems my computer was not very fond of fine tune- it kept shutting down Internet Explorer....

So I have switched to the music player you hear right now....and it's a bit more current and allot smoother....Enjoy!

More posts later today....

ODE to Big Hair and Rubber Bracelets....

That's what I call the Fine Tunes playlist widget in the right column....

I started out with a gameplan: classy smooth jazzy or classical type music to enjoy while you're reading. Nothing too intrusive or likely to offend anyone....

But then I started browsing the fantastic music catalog over at Fine Tune (Thanks Cassie for sending me in that direction) and got nostalgic (*sniff*sniff*), waxing poetically about awesome big hair and gnarly rubber bracelets (thank you SO much, Madonna!)...

One my favorite movies: The Wedding Singer....how can you not love "Julia Goollia"??

I am a child of the 80's (class of '86): Styx, Journey, The Police, Crowded House, early U2, and yes, even (but only, again, early) Madonna.....So before I could control myself I was making this playlist dominated by an "I Love the 80's" Soundtrack. There are a few current songs. I love John Mayer, Michael Buble, Norah Jones, etc (don't think the last two made the cut this time though). There's a little bit of country (Lyle Lovett, Toby Keith, Keith Urban, Rascal Flats, even some Alison krauss from the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack) and a few from the 70's (mainly the Eagles- love them!)....

So you have been warned....if you are NOT a Big 80's fan, you might want to avoid the music....for now. I promise I'll change it to something smoother soon, but for now I am enjoying my flashbacks.....

The Saltbox Rebellion....

Those of you who are familiar with my work know that I paint allot of houses....mostly saltbox style. Well I should say I used to paint allot of them and I do love them, even still. But it's confession time: seems lately, the thought of painting a house (ANY house) has just made me cringe (which is not good because allot of my regular pattern customer want more saltbox patterns). I have had my own little personal Saltbox Rebellion going on. I can imagine that for doll makers, the same would apply for another Annie or to altered artists- another fairie (don't come after me sewers and alter-ers! I'm just saying it's possible!)....

But sometimes a new and different surface will inspire you to reconsider an old dog. I have watched doll makers create with muslin and warm n natural for years, watched them paint these fabrics, but never made the connection that if they can paint it, so can I...doh!

So here is my first warm n natural ornie- the first of many, I hope! I played a little bit with color on this farm house, using a washed out, vintage red rather than the traditional deep red iron oxide most primitive houses are painted in. I'm loving the texture that the warm n natural provides and (here comes that word again- I'm a little obsesed with it lately) vintage feel it gives the whole ornie.

So what do you think? I'd love some feedback....

Pick a Letter....

I went to Target a few days ago.....and won the alphabet lottery!

This is about $4 worth of Chipboard letters from the Dollar Spot. Gotta Love it! I "heart" Target!!

I also got several sets of cork alphabet tiles, little clear alphabet bubble stickers and a set of wee little alphabet stamps. I tell you, it doesn't take much to make me happy.....and that afternoon I was definitely doing the dance (you know the one)...

Mission Accomplished!

We have Santa!!

Didn't get as much time to work this weekend as I had hoped (and I wasn't as close to being done as I thought), but I managed to finish this plate today and here's the final result....

If you'd like to see more detailed photos, you can check out the eBay listing after 9pm (EST) tonight...

Click HERE!

We have HAIR....

My, My, My...that's much better! What a handsome devil! Now Santa no longer looks like he's about to rob a bank, with his grey bandana wrapped around his face. Thank goodness because even with the bandana, he would have been identified in a heart beat. Also, the sheep has a body now. While I'm waiting for paint to dry, I often go do what work I can in other sections....
We're getting to the home stretch with this piece....just need to finish the sheep, add a few final touches and possibly antique the whole thing just a bit. I used to grunge things up very heavily, but have grown to like things a little less old and dirty looking- imagine that...Vintage and just a bit of grunge are in my blood though. Don't think I'll ever lose it completely....

Still not Done...

Yes, poor Santa is still a WIP, but at least he can see now. Added bonus: he's no longer a David Blain illusion with his torso floating over his legs....Scroll down and check it out- he was levitating!

Take a look at that W.I.P.!

W.I.P.

Work In Progress

I mentioned yesterday that I wanted to start sharing a little more of the process. This plate is about half done. I'm hoping if it turns out the way I anticipate that it will be a new pattern. I landed a great deal on these large (12", I think) tin ABC plates in bulk, and there is no way I can paint them all myself. So this is the first of a couple different patterns in the works for this surface. This one will feature a Belsnickle style Santa.

I really wanted to show you just how....ummmm....simple (OK- ugly!) a strictly base-coated surface can look (not to mention how much you really needed to see how a neat and tidy workspace should look, right?). It's the details that make a piece click- at this point Santa's eyes are a little scary and the sheep taking a stroll with him is merely a few pencil marks. Hopefully I will get some work done tomorrow and you will be able to see the finished piece...hopefully he'll be a wee bit more handsome tomorrow! Either way, I will post an end-of-day picture.

To be Continued....

And Now for a Little Less Frustration....

I finished these up today also. Have I mentioned that I find painting a lot less mentally exhausting than altered art?

They are also listed ( a freakishly productive day for me!). Make like Rudolph and dash on over to check them out....

Whimsy Squared...

Maybe Even cubed! lol!

Here's the finished piece....

YAY! I finished it and it's listed....

Check it out on eBay !!

Decisions, Decisions....

When I describe this blog, I invite people to explore the creative process with me....
Sooooooooo.......
I think I'll start taking pictures of the entire process (more on that tomorrow). Right before I wrote this I was sitting on my family room floor (studio is too messy to spread out-lol!), sitting in this sea of acid green, red, cream and antique silver ribbon, rick rack, tinsel garland and fuzzy yarn, trying to decide which bits and pieces will be added to this project. Now this is why I fell in love with the altered art influence. AND this is why it drives me nuts....to the point that I know that AA will never be my exclusive medium. So many possibilities. SO many decisions to make: trims, pictures, trims, doo-dads, trims, ribbons, trims....you get the idea. Embellishing projects sends my brain into this whirling, dizzy state of indecision...To quote my favorite cartoon character, Charlie Brown: "ARGH!!"
I suppose I had better get back to it.....This jingle bell must get listed tonight, which means I still have to finish it, picture it (including editing), write it up and get it going before soccer tonight....
Don't think I'll be taking bets on that one.....

Better Watch Out.....

NaUgHtY or NiCe???

Come on, be honest! Santa's watching, I'm sure he is....
Just a little sneaky peak at my auctions coming up tonight....

Gorgeous Art for a great Cause....

Chances are if you are reading this blog, you know about the Ava Grace Silent Auctions going on this week. But just in case you don't, treat yourself to some eye candy by clicking here.

What an overwhelming collection of talented artists gathered for such a wonderful cause! While you're there, place a bid or three....

Ü

Ode to animals!

This is it....I won't be posting again for a few days, but I just had to share this...Been looking for this song to post...so far this is what I came up with....A bonus- some truly cute fuzzy friends here...enjoy!

Out to Brush....

It's that time of year....fall rush.....I estimate I make almost half my yearly income in the months of September, October and November...

And yet again, I'm not ready! So blogging will have to take a back seat for a few days while me and my brushes play catch up. There are TONS of pattern ideas floating around in my head...time to get them on paper...or canvas....or wood....or SPOONS (lol- hand painted spoon ornies have become their own separate wing of my business)....In the mean time, here's a few pics of some of my spoons...I'll be offering these, painted to order, through my website.....

They like me, they really LIKE me!!

Well at least two extremely intelligent, talented, insightful, creative bloggers out there do! I have been DOUBLE "whammied" with my first blog award- the "you make me smile" award!!! Cassie over at Mockingbird Hill got me first. Go visit Cassie, you won't be sorry (even though she may call you a "fool", it's OK, she only picks on people she likes *Ü*- at least that's what she told me). There's always a great tune playing on her blog, too (note to self- put that on the blog chores list). And BTW Cassie, I absolutely love your "weird" banner! To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all time favorites and I GOT it!

I also make Tonya from Primitive Paintin's smile, which is funny because she makes me smile...maybe it's our shared love for brushes and paint fumes (and hey, we "prim" painters have to stick together) or the fact that she has a soldier son and I have a soldier husband, I just enjoy visiting her little corner of the web....Thanks Tonya....

And now the even "funner" part....I get to "pay it forward" and share this award with some of my favorites. And the winners are (drum roll please):

Kathi over at Out on a Whim ...because she makes me green...errr smile....with envy at her fantastic flea market finds (plus she's my SSODS sister-'nuff said)....she also lured me to the "dark side"...I am now an altered art junkie, even thinking about doing some scrapping (gasp!)...

Amy of A Main Collection because...well, because she makes me smile! To know her is to love her, hectic schedule and ALL. And she makes the MOST awesome, simply elegant stamped tags, something that is not as easy as it looks (and I tried!)....

Dana, the woman behind Eccentricities Studio ...reading about her crazy life makes me feel boring, but in a good way! Don't know how you do it all Dana, but you do it well and reading about it makes me....you guessed it....SMILE!!

Last, I give a little green flower to Blondie over at Vintage Prims ....because her blog makes me (surprise!) smile and she is a very gracious lady who received one of my crow paintings as a joke gift because the crows were giving her fits this past summer...I got the nicest e-mail from her that, yes, made me smile and I just wanted to (belatedly) say "Thanks!"

You gals make me SMILE!

Create & Decorate Holiday Issue

My scanner was NOT cooperating, but here's a little peek at my projects....

Oh Joy!

It's HERE!

I have received TONS of emails and messages from friends and customers who subscribe to Create and Decorate. Seems I have quite a few patterns in the Holiday issue this year. Now I knew that, but I'm still suprised (it has been several months since I turned those projects in)...go figure...the thrill of seeing your own name in a national publication just doesn't get old, let me tell you...

WooHOO!

***happy dance, happy dance, I'm doing the -woo-h-o-o- happy dance!!!***

I let my subscription lapse a month or so ago, so I had yet to see this issue but I received my complimentary copy in yesterday's mail. It IS a good one for my fellow painters- LOTS of goodies to keep you busy...

Besides my projects, there are pieces by Monika Brint, Susan Byrd, Charlene Barlow, Kathryn M. Wrona, Kim Klassen and Pam Grady. I don't think I've seen an issue packed with more brush strokes...how honored I feel to be included amongst these names!

Sneak Peak!

Here's a look at what I have been working on this week:

Owls a hootin' in the tree-

Pumpkins making faces mean,

And lots of things that you can't see

Tell us that it's Halloween.

These pictures are "quickies", so the quality could be better, but I really wanted to share this piece. I haven't decided if the original will go to eBay or my website. I am thinking website, just because eBay has been so horribly slow for me lately. But the pattern should be available everywhere Sunday, Monday at the latest.

I think my favorite part is the moon in the background. You have to look closely, but the man's there. Would love to hear any feedback....whattyathink?