Pushing My Buttons...

Or ringing my bell....however you want to put it, this Easter bell is giving me fits! I'm almost done...just have to girlify it with trims and ribbons and buttons....then I'll be ready to type up a pattern and send it out the door (or onto the internet).....
For someone who does not sew AT ALL, I have quite a thing for buttons....I try to use them every chance I get....and I love to use them on the tags for my Seasonal Rusty jingle bells.
But I tend to get just a wee bit obsessive about which button would be absolutely perfect for the current project....For this tag, I had my heart set on green, spring green. There are two matching spring green buttons in these photos. See 'em (a really pretty coral-y pink and a robin's egg blue sit between them)? But they are too big, way too big, for where I want a button...So at one point this afternoon I had ALL five jars of buttons spread across my work room floor, trying to find one button, just one, that was this exact shade of green but small enough for my needs....and then of course I got sidetracked by all the pretty colors, cool shapes and sparkly details. My crafting ADD kicked in big time, but I did finally find a button that was acceptable....not the perfect shade of spring green, but acceptable....

How's that for a fun way to waste a supposedly productive Friday afternoon?

And the Goodie Bag goes to.....

Thanks to Mrs. Glosser and her math goodies, we have emerged with a winner ( I just down loaded Adobe Photoshop so I was playing with the filters. Forgive me Mrs Glosser, for messing with your primary plus fuschia color scheme)!

First a quick note to those who posted messages here for a second entry. What I did was add your name a second time, assigning you a number beyond the last subscriber (so your second # was somewhere between 84 and 88).

And without further delay......

Congratulations Janet!!

I won't go any further than that (for privacy reasons), but if you signed up for the newletter and your first name is Janet, please watch your "In" box (or maybe spam- you never know these days)....

Finally, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who signed up! Considering I had no mailing list before this, I would consider it a huge success...

Keep a clear eye on your inbox....the first newsletter should go out within the week....

Happy Friday, everyone!

Confucious Say....

Today is the last day to sign up for my newsletter and be entered in my "Goodie Bag Giveaway"....

You have until bedtime tonight (11-ish EST) or maybe really early Friday morning (I'm up at 5 am), depending on Mr.Sunshine's computer time tonight (yes we are all sharing one computer with internet access again-ACK!)....

So Rush on over to my web site , scroll to the bottom of the first page and enter your email address. No Spam- ever! Just a monthly update on what's new with Sunshine -n-Ravioli. Then come back here and post a reply on this message- I'll enter your name twice as a thank you!

One lucky contestant will receive their choice of two of my patterns (and I have just released a few GREAT spring-time patterns!) plus lots of goodies picked with your patterns in mind....

I will post the winner tomorrow morning, bright and early...

Good luck!

Monkeys on Monday....

The Monkey's a little late today because I was too, TOO embarassed to post what I had accomplished as of this morning- nada, nothing, not one additional brush stroke on this canvas....Monkey in the Middle is a Monkey ON MY BACK this week....

But it's amazing what a bit of public shame can do to motivate. I got crackin' this afternoon and this is my progress.....

About 80% done...now I am working on the edges of the canvas. Got something special planned there, but it's a suprise...can't tell just yet....

Would love some feedback....be honest....is the sun scary? Creepy?

I rather like him but my teenage daughter says he creeps her out....

I'm definitely NOT going for creepy because this is supposed to be a baby gift, so I really need to know...would hate to scare baby fresh out of womb or give a toddler nightmares a few years down the path....

So hit me with your best shot- the good, the bad, the ugly. I can take it....

Even if Mr. Sun's middle name is Scary Spice, I think the li'l bunnies are A-OK on the creepy scale...don't you?

As for that other project I have been posting pictures of the past few weeks, I just didn't get enough done to even share.....maybe we'll save that for next week....

So, how's your monkey doing this week?

Friday.....ALREADY?

What in the world happened to this week?

It "flew" right by me...

The kids were home for winter break, but we did nothing special (bad mommy). There were orders to get out but I wasn't flooded. I did have some magazine work to finish but nothing overwhelming.

So why do I feel so behind?

So much to get done, such a long "to-do" list....

I have done very little painting this week, but I did get some curtains hung (yes,we are STILL moving in), laundry done, groceries bought....fun stuff...

And no blogging....it just doesn't feel right! I have done some reading this week though, and I did want to share this with you. If you are a visitor to Cassie over at Mockingbird Hill (and I am- she's one of my favorites and always one of the first I visit when I am blog- hopping), you'll know about her yard sale adventures lately.....

If you haven't read Cassie's blog, get on over and take a peek. She is offering some of her left-over stuff on a separate blog : Vintage Whimsy and Hoo-Ha

Even the left-overs are a bunch of fun! Wish I could have been at the real sale, but I consoled myself with the sweet pink and white quilt (see it? Marked SOLD? MINE, all mine!) and I am still drooling over that picnic basket. If someone else doesn't snatch it up, I may have to have it, even though I have no room for it....I'll tell myself it is attractive storage (which this house needs)....

So what do you think? Do I need it?

It's MONDAY....

HEY! Don't run away (like the blockhead in the picture)! It's time for Monkey inthe Middle Monday!

This week is merely a continuation of last week. Sadly, I didn't finish either one of the painting pieces I showed you.

But I did make progress, some good, some bad (unfortuantely)...

First with the bad...don't like the Bells...at all...not one bit....

It's very hard to read the writing and I'm not happy with the dots...

BUT I am starting over...Sometimes you have to do things the WRONG way to figure out the RIGHT way...at this point, though, it's all up in the noggin....think they wil be much better next week- I'll have something to show you by then, for sure....

Now on to the GOOD....

This is the almost blank canvas I showed you last week.....

Now this I am happy with....still only about half done, but so far it is progressing just as I had hoped (and seen in my mind's eye)....This one is already called for- it's a suprise gift for a good friend (and that's all I can say- any more would give it away), but I am definitely writing a pattern for this one....

I'm calling it Good Day, Sunshine.....for obvious reasons...

So anybody want to share what they've been working on?

This last picture is just a shot I took while I was getting these pieces photographed. I liked it- so for no good reason other than that... here are a few of my favorite things....

Happy Monday, Everyone!

New Create and Decorate is OUT!

Or at least I got my subscription copy Friday.....Here's a peek at my projects in the April 2008 Create and Decorate....

When Pigs (and sheep and bunnies) Fly

(I have a limited # of the plates available on my web site)

&

Hippity Hoppity Bunny Fan Blade

(recycling an old ceiling fan blade- these are my favorite types of projects.... T2T for sure!)

My scanner is not cooperating....this is a picture I took before I sent them off to C&D last year.....

These are SO fun!

We have a Weeener....

After a COMPLETELY scientific process, where I:

1) printed out your messages (because there were just too many to write each name by hand)

2)cut them up and put them in this sweet little Chinese Take-out box my friend Kathleen made for me (more on that in just a sec)

3) took them out because there were just too many for the secret winner picker (also known as my nine year old son) to get a "good swirl" going with his magic winner picking hand and

4) transferred them to a much larger (but still kinda Valentine-ish because it is a bright, heart stopping red) canvas bin...

I am thrilled to announce that the magic picker has chosen......

Jenny Holiday as the winner of my OWOH giveaway....

And Oh MY! am I thrilled and just a bit intimidated! I discovered Jenny's blog through this One World/One Heart giveaway and this is one talented lady... Not sure my little hearts can hold a candle to her sweet creations but I hope she likes them....

And how fun has this whole process of OWOH been? I have discovered some fantastic new blogs (and added quite a few of them on my *Blogs I Love* Sidebar) but not near as many as I could have (there just wasn't enough time to see it all), re-connected with friends and past customers and enjoyed seeing the traffic from all over the world that filtered through this page...

A HUGE thank you to everyone who posted...I couldn't reply to all, but I thoroughy enjoyed your messages....

And an EVEN BIGGER Thank you goes to Lisa Oceandreamer, for organizing such a massive event! This has been the most fun I have had in QUITE awhile...so many new friends to visit, so little time.....

Thanks to OWOH, I can now admit I am completely addicted to blogs (before OWOH, I was only *slightly* addicted)!

Last but not least, a little more about the magic winner picking box. My selling group, The Secret Society of Dirty Sisters (don't go there! "Dirty" as in grubby, old and vintage....and the "secret" is very tongue-in-cheek) recently held a Chinese Take-Out Valentines Swap....with the best of intentions, I had planned to photograph every individually wrapped oh-so-sweetly prize as I opened it, but there was chocolate in that box....good chocolate (Ritter Sport...mmmmm-mmmm-good)!

My clan of vultures, other wise known as my Mr. Sunshine and our daughter, Apple (as in "the apple doesn't fall far from his tree") have a chocolate radar that is beyond compare....Needless to say, we were all just a bit distracted....

But seriously, Kathleen sent me a lovely goodie package with rubber stamps, the cutest altered tiny journal (perfect size for my purse), some luscious soap from her home state of North Dakota, and quite a few other little treasures....Oh next time I will open my package alone and NOT get distracted by the chocolate!

Thank you, Sweet Katheen!!!

True Love and All that Mushy Stuff....

Happy Valentine's Day to One and All!!

In honor of this "lovely" day (literally- the sun is actually shining in upstate New York this morning!) and for your listening pleasure, please enjoy the musical stylings of Miss Ella Fitzgerald (boy could that woman sing) and the smooth notes of Harry Connick Jr. (swoon)...

And some grown up Valentines cards...

Made these last night....sweet lavendar paper with chocolate ink, white polka dots and all those "mushy" words so important to a great relationship....what's not to love?

Another Contest!

Yes, it's true....FREE STUFF!

I need to build up my mailing list and you NEED free stuff!

Seriously, this is a win/win situation for you....you'll get entered in the drawing; you'll get updates on everything new in the Sunshine -n- Ravioli (website, Etsy, BLOG, whatever!) world and you won't get spam! I won't send updates more than twice a month EVER (honestly, you'd be lucky to get that many...once a month is more my speed, at most) and I will not share your info with anyone else. But if I do ever annoy you too much, you can opt out any time after the drawing day (Feb. 29) and still keep the loot if you win!

All you have to do is go here and sign up for my Newsletter. You've got 'til February 28th- I'll save my magic winner picker from the OWOH giveaway and put every name signed up for the list in. Heck, come back after you've signed up, post a reply on this message and I'll throw your name in a second time! The winner's name will be drawn the morning of February 29....

Most of the loot is a secret (even to me at this point), but the winner will get to choose two patterns from my site. I will build the rest of your mystery goody bag with those patterns in mind.....I promise, it will be good!

So sign up, post a reply, do what you need to do.....just do it by the 28th!

Tick Tock....

Time is running out....

Time is NOT on your side...

There's no time like the present....

Have you posted a message here to get entered in my "One World-One Heart" giveaway?

Valentine's Day evening is quickly approaching... will your lucky name be drawn from my magic winner picking apparatus (i.e. most likely a shoe box...if I have time, maybe I'll cover it with doilies and cupid stickers)? Not if you don't high-tail it on over to this post and drop me a line. I really want to send these sweet little hearts to YOU !!

Monkey in the Middle Monday...

As promised, today's post will share some photos of pieces I am "in the middle" of completing....

Actually, I wouldn't even say I'm to the middle on most of them. Good intentions, you know what they say....I seem to have a knack (good or bad?Depends on the day you ask me) for floating several projects at once....

But I can give you a glimpse of the color pallette that is inspiring me lately....

And here are three things I am "monkey in the middle" on this week.....Think I can finish them all?

Tags...I'm always working on tags....they are my "keep your hands busy, specially during commercials" diversion during evening TV....

And I'm ready for Easter, can't you tell?

This is a canvas that I started (just barely!) over the weekend....the plan is for it to be a prim inspired landscape scene using these fresh colors....a little more whimsical than my usual folk art flavor, but I am following my muse lately, and the muse is cranky and she is SCREAMING "lighten up!"

Last this week, is the next in my continuing seasonal rusty bell series....

A pretty obvious hint: this will be my Easter bell and that sweet little girl with her bluebird friends is the inspiration....

So there you go! I plan to do this every Monday, and I would love to see your WIPS....for some reason I find it SO interesting to get a glimpse at the process behind the finished product....

I hope you weren't too bored....

Happy "Monkey in the Middle" Monday, y'all....

Monkey in the Middle Monday....

Starting something NEW...I got these cards on Etsy recently...Aren't they adorable? But honestly, that's not the point.....

Monkey in the middle Monday

Every Monday I am going to take photos of pieces in progress (That I am in the MIDDLE of working on), no matter what state they are in and post them here ...I usually have at least two working at any given time...later on, they may pop up on Etsy, or the website or maybe even feebay occasionally...

But here's the point (yes, I get there eventually)...

I hear from customers all the time "I wish I could do that!" and I am seriously of the opinion that, with enough patience and effort, they can! It's in the not-so-pretty beginning and potentially-frustrating middle of projects that allot of beginners give up. Personally, I find those middle steps just as interesting as the final product. Don't get me wrong I also get frustrated and sometimes I even put a piece aside because I'm just not feeling it . BUT I absolutely LOVE to see works in progress. One of my favorite blogs to visit is Bonehead Studios because she is SO generous about sharing the process of making her art dolls and scultures.

If you'd like to join me....post a picture of your work in progress (on Monday, of course)- painting, sewing, altering-whatever it is you enjoy .....drop me a note with a link to your Monkey in the Middle Monday post and I will post it here....regardless I will be posting my WIPS (works in progress) every Monday....

And if you'd like to borrow my Monkey in the Middle graphic (right click/save, please don't link directly) and join me on a regular basis, feel free!

Until tomorrow...

New on Etsy...

Cute little tags.....wishing for Spring.....Brand New in My Etsy shop ....

I love making little tags, (often include a few in my customer's packages- how's that for dangling a carrot?) often work on them during evening TV time (except during LOST, of course, because you cannot be doing anything else and catch even half of what's going on in that show)...so I thought I'd offer a few of my favorites in the shop....

If you ever see something you like but would prefer a different color, just convo me....

Am I lucky or WHAT?

My friend Kathi over at Out on a Whim Studio sent me this little ATC/RAK last week....Isn't she sweet? Definitely a ray of sunshine mail in the middle of a dreary winter week.....

THANK YOU, KATHI!!

P.S. Have you entered the One World/ One Heart Giveaways yet? Scroll down to see my freebie and then visit the link to see all the great offerings....

What are you waiting for? GO!

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Happy Wednesday, everyone!

One World, One Heart Giveaway....

Well I missed getting in on the the Bloggy Carnival Giveaway last week (just didn't have anything ready), but I was delighted to find another great giveaway that will happen on Valentine's Day.....

The One World- One Heart Event, hosted by Lisa Oceandreamer...

And I'm hoppin' on this wagon!

I'm so thrilled with my Girly Glittery Folk Art Hearts (and that doesn't always happen- if you create, you know what I mean!) that I have decided to give a set away...

So if you will forgive the repeat pictures from the last post....

This is what one reader will take home....hand painted by me....

and....

The rules are simple:

Leave a comment on this post if you would like to take part in the drawing.

You don't need to have a blog to enter my drawing (other participants rules may vary) ... but you must leave another way for me to contact you. (if you haven't a blog, please leave your email address). If you don't leave any form of contact, I will very sadly not be able to include you in the drawing...

Your name will be placed with the others into a super -secret whiz bang, magic winner picking box (or maybe a bowl), with one winning name to be drawn out on Thursday, February 14th at 9pm EST... The winners name will be posted shortly thereafter.

I will then contact you and get your girly goods mailed out to you ASAP!

So what are you waiting for? Leave me a message and get entered!

After you do that, check out the endless list of other giveaways on the

One World-One Heart BLOG

ENJOY!!

Glittery, GIRLY Folk Art Hearts....

When I have had a creative break, like I have over the past six weeks or so with this move, getting the "mojo" back sometimes proves difficult. I have noticed that letting my mind go where it wants, creating something completely girly and sparkly, always gets me in the mood to do more. It may not be what my core customers are looking for, but I am really trying to tempt you guys to "walk towards the glitter" (think creepy Poltergeist lady talking to the cute little girl). Light, fun, flirty,shabby, happy, unabashedly feminine, undeniably FUN folk art...

The themes are pretty traditional, but I am having fun playing with color and bling, velvet ribbons, polka dots and rick rack trims....

Wouldn't you like this crazy quilt in your shabby bedroom?

Or a milk-glass inspired vase filled with heart shaped blooms?

This one is just sweet...doesn't the "vase" look like a cupcake liner?

So how bout it? Want to take a walk on the girly side with me?

This is my newest pattern, available on Etsy, Ebay and my web site....

E-pattern coming soon....

Sneak Peek....

With my recent weather fetish and sharing pics from last fall, you might think I have yet to pick up a paintbrush this year.....

Not So!!

Here's a taste of what I've been working on...

Don't want to show everything because these sweet little hearts are for a Valentine's Swap I'm involved in....shhh...don't tell....

I will say the other two hearts share the same color scheme and a folk art feel (love using these fresh colors for traditional folky subjects), but that's it!

I'm liking the results though, and I think these cuties may be my next pattern....

FIVE Earth shattering things about ME...

Well, Flora at Bonehead Studio and Sharon over at Mustard Seed originals have both "tagged" me to share five things about myself.....

Are you ready? Here goes:

1. I have led a pretty nomadic life, even before I married a soldier. By the time I was ten, we had moved three times, the last to San Antonio (my Dad was not in the military). We moved away from there and back a few more times before my parents decided it was "Home"....

So when people ask me how I can take the constant moving involved with military service (and with this most recent move- the third in two years- people have been asking me that...ALLOT), I guess it's the way things have always been for me.

2. And this should make you shake your head.....I HATE MOVING!!

3. My name is Stephanie, and I am a reality TV junkie....give me a Project Runway marathon, my brushes, paint and a surface and I am a happy camper....Only thing that would make me happier is a LOST DVD marathon (do NOT distract the Momma when she's watching LOST)....but you can't do anything else while watching LOST (you'd miss something very inportant, I'm sure), so no painting supplies there....

4. I think I am addicted to Diet Coke. It's my coffee....

5. And here's one to make you go "ewwww"! I LIKE brussel sprouts....and lima beans....and peas. But put a plate of squash or asparagus in front of me and I will very sly-ly (is that a word?) feed it to the dog....with my luck, she'd probably do the sniff and walk away.....

SO there's my five deep secrets....And I think just about every blogger I know has been tagged, so I am going to refrain from tagging anyone again.....party pooper....

Have a great weekend!

Let's Backtrack a Bit....

Remember last fall when I posted all of those pictures of the Mall in Washington DC? When my in-laws were visiting? Well, here are some more snaps from their visit that I never got to posting (the move kind of sucked all of the blogging energy out of me).

This is Gunston Hall, a Revolutionary- era home near Mount Vernon (maybe 10 miles at most down the Potomac). Don't ask me to recite allot of history about the place, but I did really enjoy our visit. Unlike Mount Vernon, there were few people there. It was quiet and peaceful, making our tour much more in-depth (no rushing to get everyone through-like cattle-in a timely manner) and interesting. It also made it much easier to truly imagine what living in a home like this may have been like....

The picture above was taken walking up to the house...photography was not allowed inside. Oh how I wish it had been! I would have loved showing you some of the most beautiful and intricate hand carved details that I have ever seen (and we visited quite a few "palaces" and "castles" while living in Europe). They were all tastefully done, no gold leafing or tacky baubles- just simple master craftsmanship shining through....

One of the side doors....

An outbuilding....I think this was the smokehouse ...all of the work buildings were built surrounding a courtyard with the water well. The next few pictures were taken inside these buildings....

This last photo is the roof of the water well.....loved the aged wooden shingles....I think I need to incorporate them into some of my painted houses....

This is actually the "back porch"....very similar to the front of the house....Everything about this house was perfectly balanced and symetrical....

A long view of the back...the gardens were to the left and right of these very old boxwood hedges, the Potomac to my back....

This guy called the above hedges home (allright, I took this one for my son but I thought he was kinda cute).....

The school house....try writing "I will not tell a lie" a hundred times on those slates...

Tour's over...heading back to the car and the modern world....

This little guy was there to send us off....well, maybe not. I think nuts were his priority, but he did let me snap this shot....

Hope you enjoyed our little tour...it was a very nice, relaxing morning....