The Forever House....

Happy Tuesday, fellow bloghoppers!

Many thanks to all for the overwhelming well-wishes and kudos sent to Mr. Sunshine since his return last week. Your kindness is one of the many reasons I love this little handmade online community we're all citizens of...

One thing I did very little of during Mr. Sunshine's deployment was to just sit down and start to paint....whatever came to mind....

There was a time when painting was ALL I did....

That started with his first deployment in 2004.

In between then and now, there was a move or two (or three), some health problems for both me and Mr. Sunshine (and a few other family members), the loss of my Father, and a second deployment . Major creative mojo killers taken individually, let alone racked up, one on top of the other in quick succession.

So it has been a long time since I just sat down and exhaled, releasing everything- the tension, obligations, the pressure to make something with selling it in mind- and just creating for me, myself and I...

I have always, always, been fascinated with houses.

I paint them often. Cute little cottages, folk art inspired saltbox houses, houses for critters (barns), houses for worship (chapels). I think every painter has a favorite subject, like winsome little girls with big eyes, still life florals, whimsical animals, and on and on. Mine is houses.

We moved often when I was a child, and each new house was an adventure, a new start. Maybe it was the new color I got to paint my room every time we moved, I honestly don't know...but moving did not bother me that much...


As an adult, I have lived in many, many houses...not so much of an adventure anymore and new starts are over-rated, specially when you have teens who don't consider this lifestyle exciting.

Some houses I have loved, others I have loathed. But each has contributed at least one tick (some positive, some negative) to my mental check list of what the "forever house" (the one we move into after Mr. Sunshine retires from the military and hopefully NEVER leave again) will, and maybe more importantly, will not have. I pity the poor Realtor who has to deal with me in a few years...

Anyway, I sat down last night and just painted. When I did, of course what naturally came out of the brushes was this wee little purple house.

I sketched a series of three small canvases, all featuring (of course) a house or two, connected by the yellow brick road you see above....

A happy, simple little painting....
this is what happens when I exhale...

How about you?
What is your "happy, just for you" crafting groove?
I would love to read all about it....

Until Next Time,

Something New, Something Blue...

I knew it was coming...I took my chances...

I am officially grounded.

I am not allowed to so much as whisper the words (or even type ever so softly) "beautiful Teenage Girl Child" again until further notice (oops, did I just mention "she who shall not be named"?)...I told her everyone was looking at Molly anyway, but she wasn't buying it....If you have no idea what I am talking about, click here....

So how about some shop talk?

Something that would make every teenager on the planet stick their fingers in their ears and wail "lalalalalalalalalalala- can't hear you!"

I have been working today....working on something new, something blue...something slightly comfortable, but different none the less...


Over the past several months I have had several request for more hand stamped stationery.
Honestly, the idea scares me just a bit. My tags are wee little bits of stamping, a contained field that is very easy to keep simple (which has been part of my stamping mantra from the get-go: soft or faded colors, vintage inspired images and overall simplicity).

They are those little single bites of goodness that the contestants are always making on one of my favorite shows, Top Chef ...they are the amuse-bouche of the stamping world....(thank you Google and Wikipedia for teaching me how to spell amuse-bouche)...


Moving on to cards (to me anyway) is like taking the training wheels off. It's such a big surface to work with...that much empty paper intimidates me...

So how about some baby steps first?

How about post cards?


Perfect for short little notes of encouragement- not so small as a gift tag but not the big, full entree commitment of a note card or invitation (at least in my mind, and in that moment, that was all that counted)...


So what do you think?

Not that hard really...actually kind of fun...

Next (baby) Step: Save the Date cards....
(0;

And what would a post from me be these days if I didn't tell you this:
If you haven't entered my OWOH giveaway, what the heck are you waiting for??

Click here!
Go there and post a reply! When I get to 250 entries, I will be adding another prize...
...and I want to give away more stuff, so help me out!

Only three more days 'til Mr. Sunshine comes home on R&R Leave (almost 9 months to the day since I last saw him)...woohooo! I tried to get through the post without mentioning that but I am so giddy, I just couldn't help myself...

And that makes this a HAPPY, walking on Sunshine kind of Tuesday!
Hope it's been a good one for you too...

Until Next Time,

Chuck would Be Proud...

Earlier this week, teenage girl child had a gaggle of (giggling) friends over to hang out...
snacks, movies, a little Wii, some boy talk (I would assume because of course I did not eavesdrop), the usual....

During the festivities, I noticed something by the front door...
It's snowy here (see! I had to work a reference to my nemesis-ie snow-in somewhere) so everyone peels off the shoes at the front door. The nasty gook that sticks to the bottom of your shoes in this weather can really wreak havoc on the carpeting. Since I do not own my carpet, Uncle Sam does (this Army family lives in issued quarters on post), I am trying to be respectful.

But anyway....back to the subject at hand...

I am walking down the hallway and what do I see but this awesome collection of Converse All Stars (that belong to my daughter and her friends)...
I don't know why, call me eccentric (it's OK- you wouldn't be the first), but I knew I had to take some pictures...

This would be the one teen trend I have to say is my favorite...have always loved the look of the Chuck Taylors, even when they were not in style (that would be my teenage years- sigh).

And I absolutely adore the rainbow of colors they come in these days...girly and tomboy, sassy and sweet...a perfect combo!

I have to admit that my faves were these petite little pink ones...I want a pair!

Good thing Teenage girl child's friend has wee li'l feet, or I might just have run away with them....

Not really, I am a grown up after all....I just need to buy my own (cause I'm not that grown up!)

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone!

Oh yeah and if you haven't enetered my OWOH giveaway, click here to join in on the festivities. It's a party on your computer screen (entereing my own name in some awesome giveaways is how I will be spending my Super Bowl Sunday)!

Until Next Time,

Shades of Inspiration....

I have been a member of Sadie Olive's Shades of Inspiration Flickr Group since it's inception, but this is my first post for the weekly challenge (time just is not on my side). If you haven't visited SadieOlive's Blog or the Flickr Group before, make sure you click on the links above and check them out. Each week a new color challenge is issued.

Your assignment: get your camera in hand and start shooting; post the results. There are some absolutely beautiful shots posted in this group, so please don't laugh at my humble first-timer's offerings...

This week's challenge was Pale Blue and Brown...

An oldie but good for me. Never ever get tired of taking photos of my button collection. And when I can sneak in some vintage canning jars, well that's just icing...

A close up...this one is my favorite...

And there are allot of us who chose seashells as a subject (who doesn't think of the beach when you hear these two colors said in the same sentence?)....I just love the way the pale blue glass matches one of the shells...so soft and pretty....

Again, this second shot is my favorite of the two. The way the light makes the blues glass almost glow...picks up all of the bubbles and chips in the great antique canning lid...I can almost feel the saltwater in the air and the sand between my toes....

Hopefully, I will be able to continue to participate in this challenge. It's a great way to learn more about the art of photography...a hobby that helps the business (because it is so true-on Etsy, it's all about the photo!). Sweet!

Until Next Time,

STEPH

Monkey on Tuesday....

And this time, it's not my fault!

Blogger seems to have resolved its' issues and I have pictures again...hopefully my laptop will not get finicky and we can finish this post....

Right off the bat, if you would like to learn more about Monkey in the Middle Monday, just click here ....

And I do have a link to share with you this week....
Catnip Studio
Go take a look at what Kathy was up to this week...too cute!

And now it's time for me to share. I have been coloring this week, playing with my new Prismacolor Pencils...learning quite a bit and having fun with them too....Doing some more planning for the upcoming seasons ...

Recognize this guy?

I really want to start a line of prints meant for kids' rooms based on vintage children's toys. I love the old Fisher Price pull toys and have a small collection. Plus, I recently started collecting old game cards with adorable grapics. Got this circus themed set that is featured on my MitM banner above from my friend Kath's supply shop INeedThat .

And what better set to get some practice in with? These little guys make me smile every time I see them, particularly the Monkey (of course)...

I am also trying to work up a game plan for the holiday season, using pencil drawn art...

I have had these little Swedish pony shaped cut outs for a few years now, one of those "Do you think you can do anything with these because they are going in the trash if you don't want them" kind of gifts. I really do love the shape of them and can see them on a tree. My first thought was to go traditional, but I am not Swedish (my wonderful Step Mom Karen is -she was nice enough to give these to me, thinking I could do something with them) and I wanted to do something a little different. So I am experimenting right now.....


Gotta start somewhere, right? I think I am headed in a "cherry cottage" inspired direction on these, with lots of vintage trims and maybe just a bit of mica or German Glass Glitter sparkle...I can see it in my mind's eye, a whole collection of different but coordinating painted ponies...oh my!

....I think it will be cute....

But you never know until you try....

Until Next time,
STEPH

(This has GOT to be a RECORD) Monkey-in-the-Middle Monday...

How many weeks in a row now? Ok, not as many as I thought, but I'm still dang proud of myself because I actually do have something to share with you today...again! Given how busy the past few weeks have been, that's not too shabby...

To learn a little more about Monkey-in-the-middle Mondays, just click right here.

I don't have too many participating this week. Kathi over at Out on a Whim has went and gone on vacation...imagine that in the middle of summer. Haven't heard from my other regulars, but if they are participating I will update during the week. I do have one link, however, a new friend...

Oh! Just one more thing...

Don't you love that Title? I do! Go visit Mel and check out the 80's ergo chair that she helped a friend re-do....FUN!

If you are taking the plunge and participating, please just send me a quick email with your link. It may take a few days, but I will definitely get you on the wall of fame...errr....Monkey post...

And without further ado, it's time for me to share....

Sometimes, I find a stamp and it takes me awhile to give it a test run. Sometimes I find a stamp and I have to stamp with it IMMEDIATELY (you get where this is going)...when I stumbled upon these 12 days of Christmas stamps, I knew they'd be occupying valuable thinking space in my mind until I actually did something with them. I just love them! Not sure if I love this initial experiment, but they are growing on me...

I think I may sell these more as ornaments because I can't imagine splitting them up...you can't have just one day of Christmas, can you?

I forgot how many birds "my true love gave to me" ...should fit right in this year, considering how popular the feathered friends are right now....

My personal favorite is the "lords a-leaping" there in the lower left...

But I always enjoy a good piper piping or drummer drumming...

Now let's just change the mood COMPLETELY, shall we? The Cottage Style Street Team is celebrating Christmas in July this week on Etsy...so in honor of the event, I am channeling my inner "girly girl"....

What better way to do it than on some sweetly ornate vintage silverware? I don't know if you can read it, but the engraving on that middle handle says "Hotel Ponce DeLeon"...I want to stay there!

I have a hard time with forks and knives...I often have to buy a whole box of mixed pieces to get the spoons I usually paint. After a very busy holiday last year and tons of buying this year in anticipation of another busy Christmas, my collection of forks and knives is piling up....I need to figure this out...

Snowflakes are simple enough to fit on those pesky forks....

And the glass glitter adds a nice touch in person, even if it's hard to capture that sparkle in a digital image...

I haven't gotten to the pinkies yet....I also thought about painting little vintage looking ball ornaments or jingle bells or maybe a wee little tree...just can't decide....any opinions or suggestions out there (good, bad, even ugly)?

And so there you have it, this week's record breaking Monkey-in-the-Middle Monday...

'Til Next Time....

STEPH

Monkey-in-the-Middle MONDAY...

Yes, Monday...already....time is flying...

To learn a little more about Monkey-in-the-Middle Monday, click here.

Before I share my Monkey this week, I am so excited! I have new links for you!

Still figuring out exactly how this is going to work because I attempted to join the Mr. Linky thing but when they started talking about altering you you blog template, I got a little nervous...

So for now, until I feel a bit more confident in the template altering field, I guess I will just give you a list, similar to what the gals at Show-n-Tell Sundays are doing (except mine's allot shorter, for now.... *smile*)...It would be easier if you emailed me directly with your Monkey link. That way I won't miss anyone (if I missed you this week, feel free to send me a nastygram through the link above...;0) )....and feel free to right click and save the monkey banner above and on the sidebar. That way you can post it on your own blog...let's spread the word!

So get ready to clickity-click on a few new fun sites...hopefully I can add yours next week??

Out on a Whim Studio

Lisa's Retro Style

Always Inspired

Catnip Studio

Now, on with the show. I had very little free time last week, as my kids were in soccer camp all week. Add a few games, sleepovers, movies, etc. and I didn't get much work done beyond filling orders and driving my car to and fro...

But I did complete my final version of "Home Sweet Home".

What do you think? No Huge differences, but, from the first go-round, I learned a few things I'd like to change-colors, shading, etc ...

I guess, technically, I am not in the middle of this project, but kinda-sorta, I am. Now I start the process of finding a printer and figuring out cards, etc...lots to learn about what to do with a project to get it to it's selling state. I was even thinking I might like to do some tags from this...how cute would a housewarming gift of a cupcake basket tied with a "home sweet home" tag?

This is a whole new direction for me. I seem to be wandering away from the decorative painting, at least for now...have to admit I am a little burnt out....plus I absolutely LOVE the fine detailing I can get with pencils and a good drafting pen. I missed that with the acrylics. I will definitely still be offering hand painted goodies in my Etsy shop (Big plans for the holidays- more ornies than you can shake a stick at...ok maybe not that many), but for the time being, I think the only new patterns I will be offering are those that appear in Create and Decorate....I want to continue with that. And all of my current patterns will continue to be available on my website .

Wow, seems I am making big business announcements in the Middle of the Monkey....how'd that happen? I just started typing and -BOOM- there it is....sneaky, sneaky....

Something else we worked on this week....I say WE, becasue my dear teenage daughter is working off a huge (OMG it is 2 HUGE! IDK how she did it!) texting bill....Mothers of Teens (MOTs!), you feel my pain, I know u do...so I have slave labor to cut out all sorts of tags for me this summer...great time to get ahead for the holiday rush, but these are new...I am loving stamping on the vintage text. It's a little tricky, but the results are 2die4!

So what's your Monkey this week? We'd love to see...

Until next time...

Steph

Catching up & Show-n-Tell is BACK....

Phew! What a week! This was our main soccer camp week...so a good majority of my time was spent in the car or sitting and waiting...not too much computer time and no time to blog....sorry 'bout that....

But I am making up for it today, because it's Sunday and Show-n-Tell Sundays are back. This week's hostess is Cerri at The little Pink Studio. If you'd like to learn more about Show-n-Tell Sundays, go visit her studio. Be prepared to spend your afternoon (or morning or evening) surfing all of the Show-n-Tell links...great eye candy here!

Show us your vintage paper...that's this week's theme.

Oh my...I am going to flood you with images here, and this is only a portion of what I could post...

I have a thing for old books, pamphlets, etc.

The pages and books I am showing you this morning came from one barn sale (the same one I got these cuties at, which also fit this week's theme, but they've already been the subject of a s-n-t), stacked up in the corner, looking extremely neglected. They weren't even marked with a price. I figured that even at a buck a book, I would come home with a good sized stack. Imagine my suprise when I asked and was told "five cents each".....WHAAAA??? Seriously?

My impulse control seriously abandoned me at this point....I think I came home with about 20 books...one was even FREE (I'll point that one out in the photo descriptions)....

I love the spines of old books, and while technically, they aren't vintage paper, I'm sharing some of the covers anyway, just because I can (*wink*)....

Fuss-budget's Folks...love that title! And the cover features some very cute children....

These next two covers are too pretty not to share. The pictures are separate prints that have been glued to the cover...

Being a decorative painter, my heart always flutters over an authentic crackle finish...and she wears the "wrinkles" so well....

One more cover and then we'll get to the meat (err...pages) ...remember, nothing in this post cost me more than FIVE cents... I still can't believe that myself....

This ledger is mostly blank pages (someone cut out most of the used pages), but still my favorite find of the day. I've seen these go for more than I wanted to pay on Ebay (and I was willing to go over 5 cents-lol)...

This photograph was tucked in the book (actually two copies)...nice house....

A page that was cut out, folded and tucked back in the book...

Look closely at those postal rates....5 cents (I see a trend here) to ship a pound up to 150 miles from home....I wish!

This is a birthday reminder book. Really lovely in it's simplicity, each day has a nice quote or scripture passage with room to write your special someones information...

Another birthday entry...

OK I just thought this title was a little cheeky...

And this one a little poignant...written about the Civil War...

And this one FREE...The spine of this book is no more...it is literally being held together by strings.....

The People's Home Library, published in 1915. I'm not going to show you anything from the "Home Medical" (taking care of your humans) or "Home Stock" (taking care of your critters) sections because they are mostly filled with pictures of rashes and other yucky stuff , but the "Home Recipes" sections is filled with all sorts of little gems.....

....such as this sketch to help you identify different plants...just in case you're going on a nature walk....

...or the various medicinal uses for the tobacco plant....n-i-c-e.....a narcotic and a diuretic....

Being a WAHM, this one has got to be my favorite, though...."Domestic Science"....

Don't you want to take the Housekeeper's Creed? I am being just a little cheeky myself here, but if you click the pic it will open in a larger window and you can actually read most of it....Why shouldn't housekeeping be considered "the highest art"? On second thought.....

So there you have my Show -n- Tell for this time...as I said earlier, I could keep going (have a growing collection of military life themed ephemera and there are some real winners in this one, but I will save that for another day), but if you even made it this far, you deserve a really big chocolate chip cookie, cooked following the rules of domestic science, of course.....

Be sure to join me tomorrow for Monkey in the Middle...I've got links to share with you!

And a finished project....

'Til next time....