Puddle of Paint Spring Challenge, Wednesday, May 27, 2015

WHEW...I got it finished!  I belong to a FUN CLUB called PUDDLES OF PAINT.  Designer, Susan Kelley, provides 2 patterns each month, JUST FOR US and then will give us some challenges to create throughout the year.

Susan has been WONDERFUL.  I have been lucky to get to know her a bit, and she is so helpful, friendly and down to earth....and FUNNY!!  I LOVE her!  She has become a friend and a mentor who is always willing to answer any questions that I may have...She inspires me and encourages me.  I am THANKFUL for getting to cross her path!

When I first got on FB, I was afraid to chat with anyone who had LOTS of likes on their pages, and talking to a BIG BRUSH was so out of the question, but then, I remembered something that Mother taught me growing up...ALL PEOPLE put their britches on one leg at a time!

I have gotten more opportunities than I could ever dream possible...MANY of these dreams are things I never knew to dream...

I have met some wonderfully helpful people in my fb journey, and I have soaked up as much knowledge as I could!

I am a Helping Artist through DecoArt~~another dream I had no idea was a possibility, but because of a friend sharing and encouraging me, I was accepted into the program.  I have used DecoArt products in my painting for over 20 years and I LOVE them.

DecoArt has recently come out with a new line of products especially for mixed media.  I have been fascinated with this, because I LOVE to learn new techniques. I recently saw a post from a person asking WHAT is the big deal with MIXED MEDIA...she went on to say she had NO IDEA what people did with the "stuff" they made...I was SO DISAPPOINTED in this person...Reminds me of the old CHURCH saying, "We've NEVER done it THAT WAY before and WHY change something that works!" ...heavy sigh...

I don't understand WHY people feel the need to attempt to BASH things they don't like, especially if it causes no harm...IF you don't prefer to DO SOMETHING, then DON'T...People really don't CARE and by all means, don't be so condescending to others who ENJOY EMBRACING CREATIVITY in other forms!  OK...off of my soap box for a little while...

I thought this challenge was a perfect time to use some of these wonderful products and to step out of my comfort zone that I know so well.  I really had FUN with this...SO, I took a few pictures along the way and thought I would share what I did...

First, I used a stamp to put on a piece of paper and then I printed the words I wanted to use on this piece...

 I Then used the Misters to spray on the background...These are SO MUCH FUN...I put the paint on fairly thick and then took a crumpled up piece of packing bubbles and picked off some of the paint to get a texture...I had so much paint, that it kept seeping back over the texture, so I worked quickly and then blasted it with my hairdryer...HA...can't defeat ME!

I painted the face, arms and legs with the media fluid acrylics.  It takes very little paint since they are highly pigments...You will see in the top right, that I cut the dress and purse from scrapbook paper.  I used Decou-Page Matte to glue it in place!

I added some color around the dress, purse, ears and nose!!  Isn't she SWEET!!  Anyone who follows me might have noticed that I paint my bunnies grey...WHY?  Because I HAVE GREY HARE, um, Hair!  teeheheeeheeeee

I painted 4 wooden butterflies that I had bought at JoAnn's in the mixed media aisle...Yes, I have a habit of buying things with NO CLUE what I will do with them, but SEEEEEEE...they were JUST WHAT I NEEDED!

This is the finished piece...I printed the words on my computer onto the stamped paper...I gued on the butterflies, painted the grass and flowers...I went around the flowers with a Dimensional Writer.

I LOVE it!  The message is JUST what I needed to see.  We ALL need to follow our dreams...we ALL need to live the life we have imagined...It is ok if your imagination changes a few times along the way.  Sometimes, we have to adapt and there is nothing wrong with that!

I thought I would share the Cake I made when I Celebrated Daddy's birthday.  It was nice to remember good things about him, not that that is any different from most days.

Mother and Miss Stella made this cake DOZENS of times.  It is so easy and light.  It is wonderful with fruit over it or just with some cool whip OR with Ice Cream!  A GREAT summer dessert!

Take an Angel Food Cake and a can of crushed pineapple

 Mix the two together. Pour in a 9x13 pan. 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

YUMMY!! Served on Mother and Daddy's wedding China that Uncle J.P. (daddy's brother) bought them as a wedding present when he was stationed in Japan.  It is Noritake, Orient.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the world...

I HOPE that I have inspired you in some small way

...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte

Go CONFIDENTLY in the direction of your dreams,

Live the life you've imagined.

~~Thoreau