Grateful

Happy Fall!

Well, at 3:02 pm! Lol (Central Time)

Mother Nature is snickering as she sends us temps bordering on the 90 degree line.

As a painter, I am never quite sure what season it really is.

Art has the Gift of transporting you to different places, different seasons, and yes, different outcomes.

It is no secret, my goal, as an artist, is to spread smiles.

I love happy colors. 

I do not like faces without smiles. 

I love whimsical. 

I have a joke going with a few friends about stepping into the "dark side."

They know I am joking, while others might not know.

I love dark colors, too.

In my opinion, there is nothing classier than black and white. It was our farm's colors, because, well, we milked black and white cows! 😁😂🤣 (Holstein)

I have been trying to learn different styles of painting my entire life. That is what helps me grow as an artist, but I do not want to abandon my style that I have worked for years to develop, because, be it good or bad, there is  something absolutely awe-inspiring to hear, "I knew that was yours!" I think it is one of the greatest compliments I have ever received.

With that being said, most every one of us started by copying patterns offered by others. I still enjoy painting the designs of others, because I learn so much! 

And, again,  this brings up 2 of my own questions:

1. Why would an Artist get angry when someone doesn't follow their pattern.

2. Why would you teach if you don't want others to duplicate your pattern and sell it??  If you sell your pattern, and IF the person bought it, then you need to let it go! No, I am not talking about stealing. I am referring to videos/patterns that are purchased or offered for free.

Yes, I know, sometimes I fail to see the big picture, BUT before you go "stormin' norman" on me, this is MY opinion, and it is absolutely fine to disagree with me.

I think it is important to add your own touches into art. My goal is simply to share some of what I know, so you can learn. I want to INSPIRE others.

We learn by imitating others--look at children.

I also believe that God has given us the skills we need to survive in life. Yes, we must hone them and learn, but the basis is there.

I also believe, with every ounce of my being, that the more we give, the more we get! I believe it applies to every part of our lives. 

I have experienced that we CANNOT outgive God.  

If I can help you, I will do my best.

Now, before I seem all high and mighty, I also think that when someone helps YOU, it is your responsibility to then, help yourself. 

We have all experienced those who keep wanting more. I have taken my time to offer help, only to be bombarded with question after question...heavy sigh

People...One word--GOOGLE!!

There are people who will push you to your edge, and sometimes you have to say, NO.

That is ok! 

Now, don't think I am saying that we can't sell our art, because, yes, that goes back to my statement about gifts God gave us to make a living, BUT if you teach it, HOW can you say it can't be sold? That is crazy! 

I think what I love about my friends, is how generous they are. They give free tutorials, ideas, line drawings, helpful hints, and on and on. It really is a community! Each offering help.

So, with all of that said, I have been updating my HOPE pattern (Pink ribbon patterns) with some new ideas, so I grabbed a 6x6 canvas that had been sitting in a spot for a few months --hmmmmm...does it count as the SAME SPOT if Charcoal and I have knocked it off about 20 times, oh, and it has inched closer down the stack of stuff to my painting table??

Sorry, to have just made many of you shutter. I have friends who will understand me. 😁😂🤣😃

I covered it with an old dictionary page--ok, two pages-- with DecouPage (Yes, use what you have or your favorite method). 

I drew a pumpkin--start with a center, and add to each side. I grabbed a darker color on my base coat brush to separate the sections--there are TONS of FREE tutorials on You Tube and Pinterest to show you how to draw a pumpkin.

Here is a link to one of my previous posts.Click here

I painted the outside then added texture with my favorite dry wall tape and some favorite colors of DecoArt Americana Acrylics.

Then I dabbed on Deco art One Step Crackle around the pumpkin. I dab it on, rather than simply brushing it. I put it on thicker than a regular coat of paint. 

When it dried, I thinned a darker color and put it on top so the cracks would appear! Then wiped the darker color off, so it remained only in the cracks.

I found a word I liked in my drawer full of stencils. Yes, I love this word and how it nudges me. 

I applied Pink Glamour Dust to the words and to the pumpkin--sparkle and cracks--story of my life! 😁😂🤣😃

Yes, you are more than welcome to make some, and to sell them!  I certainly don't own the rights to a pumpkin! 😁😂🤣😃😄

But, seriously, I am happy to try to teach others to maybe earn some money to help THEM support their families.

God has been so good to me. He has given me far better than I deserve.

For those who have "wronged" me, I pray they will get the same Grace and Mercy that has been gifted to me.

Always help others--It isn't your responsibility to make sure they say THANKS or to change.

Have a blessed Fall, and don't you dare fail to take time to enjoy It! 

Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the world.

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Peaches and Milk

I don't like milk.

Well, unless it has something good added to it! 

Yep, strange for someone raised on a dairy farm.

...AND, my mother was allergic to dairy foods.

The good news is Daddy ate enough cheese and ice cream to keep us all in business. 

In the line of true confessions, I don't care for breakfast.

I never have.

I do not eat eggs.

Ok, so that is not true.

I do eat eggs as long as I can't taste or smell them. Throw in enough cheese and onions, cook it crispy, and I will eat an omelet or a quiche. 

I have gagged over cleaning one too many iron skillets after eggs were cooked--eeeeeewwwwww...

I was the brat, who followed my Daddy like a puppy,  and sat at the table between my parents until their deaths.

I remember sitting around the breakfast table each morning with my family, as a young child. Mother said there were few meals that something wasn't spilled, and often, it wasn't one of the kids!  Remember, we had 3 people past 80 the first few years of my life.

As we got older, it became a joke that as soon as the blessing was offered, somebody always jumped up to get something! 

Daddy always had the same breakfast --2 eggs (fried with a runny middle---ick, or scrambled), 2 pieces of toast, covered in White Karo Syrup, and cut into 9 squares, 2 pieces of sausage, bacon or ham, and coffee.

I have shared this before, but it is as vivid a memory as it gets. I remember watching Daddy perfectly cutting his toast into those 9 squares, and this one particular morning, I asked him to cut my toast. 

I remember my eyes growing big in horror as he reached across me with that egg-yellow-laced fork to cut my toast! I watched in unbelief as those egg drippings were now on MY toast, and tears flowed uncontrollably. 

I remember the sternness of Daddy telling me to stop crying and to eat. I remember thinking that I would stop crying, but eat it, I would NOT.  Yes, Daddy got an extra piece of toast that morning.

Of all the things that I remember, I wonder why this is etched in my mind.

Maybe, this was the foundation of my not liking breakfast. A celebration of all things EGG is a bit much for me. LOL

Mother, long ago, gave up on trying to force me to get up earlier than I needed to stare at food I didn't want to eat. 

We would get breakfast bars, granola, or anything that we could grab and go. Breakfast became only for special occassions--that wasn't a bad thing. It helped reassure me of the specialness of gathering around a table to share breakfast. I LOVED going to Shoney's breakfast bar with Mother and Daddy. 

Any time we traveled, Daddy planned a stop at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I never minded so much getting up a bit earlier for that.

My favorite breakfast, as of late, is Yogurt with granola. Of course, it comes later in the day. 😊

Yesterday, I thought I would try to use the rest of my milk I had bought for potato soup, before the milk spoiled, so I got a bowl of granola. As I sat down for my afternoon snack, I eyed my last peach, big as a softball, and too expensive to let spoil  ($2.98/lb), so I grabbed it and chopped it into my cereal. 

Mercy,  me, those food memories. 

I was transported back to my childhood years of eating fresh peaches with milk/sugar over them or blackberries with milk/sugar! 

WOW!!

I can't adequately express my gratitude for being raised in a home that smelled of freshly baked goods...for being blessed with fresh out-of-the-garden veggies...for the joy of growing up around a table with family and friends...for being taught that all good gifts come down from the Father of Lights...for learning to always bless the hands that prepared a meal, our food to nourish our bodies, and our health to God's service.

To God, be all glory, honor and Praise! 

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Hooooowdeeeeeeee...I'm just so PROUD to be here.

My prayers for those in the path of the storms and clean-up, paths of the fires, smoke, earthquakes, and struggles of living.

Hang on and keep praying and believing.

As I was getting ready to pack my 6 etsy orders last week,  I kept remembering one of the reasons I knew I needed a blogging break.

And, I made it to 506 Orders on etsy! 😊😚

I was scrolling through Google+ and came upon a short blog.  The person had placed an order, and when she got it, it had been placed in a peanut can, and she was so horrified, she blogged about it.

Now, y'all have had 2 reactions, probably.
1. You gasped.
2. You giggled.

I giggled, but then I found myself getting angry.

When did our BEST stop being good enough?

Yes, I understand marketing and branding, and eye candy.

I get It!

I also understand being practical and packing carefully--sometimes, no, often, the two can't be compatible.

But, let's stop for a minute and think of some other factors.

1. I CHOOSE to believe that the seller did the best she could.

I have been in enough teams, and have lived it, that I know, many people who sell are trying to make money. Packing is expensive, and in our throw away world, so many scream for us to recycle! Seems she did just that, so why the disgust? It must have been a clean peanut can, or I am certain the buyer would have included that fact.

2. Didn't the buyer get what she wanted? Would the buyer have bought the item if the seller had increased the item, probably $5 to cover a pretty Packing? It costs MONEY to buy packing materials. A bubble wrap envelop costs up to $2. Tissue paper, strings, tape, boxes--it ain't cheap, folks. My experience is that MOST people want an item as inexpensive as they can get it. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes, cheap means cutting corners somewhere else. It is a principle of business.

3. What happens with that pretty packaging?

I know I am not the only one who has experienced this. I was the "official" wrapper at my house. Yes, I have wrapped my own gift many times, and not ever been tempted to peek!  I often spent Christmas Eve wrapping the presents, as mother prepared the early morning Breakfast. It was tradition for me to hand out the presents, so when finished, I opened mine. I would sit, exhausted from the day before preparations, and look at the pile of torn papers scattered across the floor, thinking of the  hours I had spent taping and stuffing, and how in a matter of 15 minutes, it was over! Daddy brought out the garbage bag and stuffed the too expensive paper in there, as Aunt Lattie frantically tried to save the bows, ribbons, boxes and bags to RECYCLE!

4. Orders have to be mailed.

I cut boxes so that I can hold down costs. I recycle boxes, packing material so I can save my customers some money. At the end of the day, I am going to SAFELY pack a purchase, and safety, for me, is always going to come first. Oh, by the way, "fragile" simply means workers will throw the package under handed, rather than over-handed (a friend told me that)!
Remember--your package is only 1 out of millions!

So, I think you see where I am going with this.

We keep being reminded that KINDNESS MATTERS.

It does.

We need to extend our compassion to all areas of our lives-- whether we be the giver or the taker.

I LOVE getting a pretty package.

What I love MORE, is the thought of loving hands gently creating an item, placing it in a package and proudly sending it my way. It matters not if I bought it, or if it was a gift. I LOVE handmade.

I love being able to afford handmade.

I LOVE that a person did their best for me.

I LOVE thinking GOOD THOUGHTS and sharing them, instead of looking for that one thing that I dislike.

Yes, I am by nature, that person.

I have put hours investing in ME to stop looking for faults.

I have a long way to go.

My bottom line in this post, is, to ACCEPT others faults, just like you want yours accepted.

CHOOSE to believe that others did their best, because I am certain they did. Also, remember they might NOT know any better, either.

We all are raised in different regions with different values.  THAT doesn't make us LESS than someone who has pretty boxes and papers.

Remember--ALWAYS, well, Mother said, "Nothing is 'always' and 'never'", so in her memory:

Most always, it is what is on the INSIDE that counts!

Come on, folks, let's share the GOOD in people.

Again, in that spirit of compassion, I am so glad that the Blogger that posted likes PRETTY packages, tied up with strings...😁😂🤣😎😄😅

As I get older, and my "beauty" has faded, I am trying to create a beautiful heart.

I will make many more blunders, but please, know I am trying to be better.

Thanks for loving me--warts and all.

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

I Got Friends in HIGH Places

Have I told y'all today how very blessed I am??

I am always amazed that as soon as September hits, you can almost feel the excitement in people scurrying to find  that perfect decoration...

Business picks up...

I am 8 orders away from having 500 etsy orders since I set up shop on May 27, 2013.

I know that doesn't sound like much, but things have picked up! I have gotten 100 orders in about 5 months, instead of a year! Yay! I have met some more awesome people who appreciate handmade!

Feel free to go buy something from me in my shop to put me over the top--rofl (Just joking with ya--kinda)🙄

Autumn designs start appearing...

Isn't the word "Autumn" beautiful?

I LOVE pumpkins.

I Love them in just about any color.

I love them in any style!

I love the colors of fall, too!

I also LOVE getting an order for fall supplies!

Yesterday, I got an amazing box full of hand cut--not laser cut with those nasty brown edges--goodies from my friend Sheila!

I told her if I hadn't been having so much fun seeing what I got, I would have cried.

I got the sweetest note...

I got a bunch of extras!

I keep saying this, but I have finally realized it has nothing to do with what I have done to deserve it, but it is because of the type of person they are!

I won't keep going on and on, today, but I will soon show you what I have been doing in my time away.

I just wanted to share the amazing people in my life and to remind you of how important it is to TALK to fb peeps, because you never know the friendships that will develop.

I, again, thank YOU for your support of me, and the respect I feel.

I hope you feel my love and gratitude.

In this world that seems so out of whack, now, with all the floods, fires, storms, greed, hate, corrupt politicians, adulterers,  thieves, and on and on...

None of this is New!

Read the Old Testament--mercy--a real life soap opera!

BUT, remember that we no longer live under the rules of the Torah--"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

God sent HIS ONLY SON, Jesus, to serve, and to show us LOVE.

He did not come to condemn us, but to give us the option to CHOOSE eternal life.

Yes, as soon as we are born, we are one day closer to the end.

Do you want to LIVE LIFE, or do you want to spend your time looking for warning signs?

My goodness, troubles are all around us, and life is too short to waste not loving your neighbors,  as yourself.

Let's remain in daily prayer for those with needs, and Let's do what we can when given the opportunity to put feet/hands to our prayers.

Prayers for all in the path of the storms--both literally and figuratively.

Hold on to HOPE.

I love y'all.

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte ♡

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