It is well...

I have been having fun learning different styles and using different supplies.

I have learned palette knife painting. It is fun, but it will never replace my traditional style of painting.

I started these canvases with the intent of painting my home church on them for a childhood friend, but cancer took her life, too soon, and I tossed them aside.

I recently reached a little window of being caught up, so I drug these out, again, and wanted to finish them.

I wanted them to be primitive, and similar to all the palette knife churches that are all over pinterest so I think that I was successful.  I simply used a #12 Flat, and using the dirty brush method, and by George, I liked it!

This is similar to my home church.

I have shared this before, but Mother was a Southern Baptist and Daddy was a Christian, until he met Momma!
😁😂🤣😃

When Mother and Daddy got married,  they agreed to find a church where they both could attend each Sunday, together.

They found Mt. Denson Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

It was a small white wooden country church that had added a basement and a brick wing of 4 rooms.

There was a slab of concrete in front that held 3 beautiful maple trees.

I would play "1,2,3 Red light" AND "Simon Says" with my friends.

The people would gather there, after church and fellowship and share. The left top corner was jokingly called "Amen Corner."

Fast forward about 50 years, and 2 new renovations have been made...the elders are dead, and so, pretty much, is the church. It is a sad thing to watch.

I hold special memories of this church. I try not to reflect on the many hurts.

Mother and Daddy served faithfully, and so did I. I taught many classes, sang many songs, played numerous hymns and designed many a floral arrangement to share on the altar.

I did my best to share the gifts God gave me.  I was taught about service, the Bible, our Denomination, and our heritage.

I made mistakes. Got angry. Said hurtful things. Acted like a brat.

I learned about forgiveness,
mercy and grace.

I wish I had never grown up to see the ugliness of churches. 😔

So, today marks 6 years
since we buried Momma.

It was truly a celebration of her life. We sang hymns, and our former pastor spoke of God's invitation of love.

Mother shared John 3: 16, 17 with people around the world.

She lived Love.

She was my greatest supporter.
Every time I showed her a new creation, she always told of someone that she would like to give it to. 😁😂🤣😃

I have found myself developing her giving spirit. I think she would be proud!

So in her memory, you may have this pattern. I will leave it here until the end of the month.

Click here to download the Free Pattern

If you have trouble downloading it, just send me a message and I will email it to You!
romaland2.1@juno.com

Each day, I am reminded of how blessed I was. I hope you have known that kind of love. If not, let me tell you about my Heavenly Father, who loves you unconditionally.

Make time to create!
It will fuel your soul.

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Tole Town Trick or Treat

The winner of the Bat Pumpkin Painting is

Lisa Paints

Thanks for playing! 😁😂🤣

Trick or Treat 

You Decide!

Welcome to my little corner
 of the world,

My little pretties

cue: evil laugh

Good things come in 3's 

So

Number 1

I have over 100 patterns 
and 100 finished items 
in my etsy store.

Click here to visit my etsy shop

Number 2

A fun and new pattern

Created just for YOU

But

It is too cute to make you go BOO! 

Click here to purchase the pattern

Number 3

CLOSED
WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED

Leave a comment below of your favorite Halloween Candy to be entered to win the bat pumpkin featured in the above pattern.

Remember that I will need to find you if you win, so check back here on November 3rd to see if you won!

Happy Halloween

October is the BESTEST!

Thanks for stopping by.

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡
😊

A Day in my life

Today has been a comedy of errors...

To be honest, most of my days are, or so it seems.

I do have a gift for laughing at myself, so I never want for a giggle. 

I have been working on 5 special orders, and I am thankful--a turtle, a dragon (well, it is a challenge, not an order), a rooster, a gingerbreadman/cupcakes and a kittie. I have a order to pack and ship, too. A nice variety, huh?

It has been a good etsy week! 

3 of the orders meant I had to cut out 3 surfaces--no problem.

I drew off the one surface, and took the pattern for the other one to be sure that I grabbed the right template for the correct heart (I have about 5 that work for most of the things I paint on hearts). 

I got 2 of each cut with no obstacles--cool beans.

I came back in this room to gather my paints and try to figure out what colors to use--great--I left the pattern by the saw. I will go get it.

Oh, wait, my phone is blinking, so I check fb.

30 minutes later, oh, yeah, the pattern.

While I am by the saw, I think I will cut off the piece of pine board for another of the orders, since I finally remembered to see the size. No need to sand since it will be distressed.

I proudly bring my piece of wood to the table, only to realize, AGAIN, that I still left the pattern.

On my way to get it, I see that new toilet seat that has been needing replacing, so, ok, let's do that. 

Check...done...screwdrivers and wrench put back.

Ooooops...didn't get the pattern either! 

Well, now, 2 hours (?) Later, I have the pattern, have found the original painted piece to try to figure out WHAT colors I used for the background--that should be interesting...heavy sigh

BUT now, the puck is ready to drop for game 5 of the Preds quest for the Stanley Cup...what to do...

Whew...that hockey game stinks!

I have now base coated 2 orders, and sent messages for approval, printed lettering/rooster for another order, and now, sitting chilaxing with my pup...life is good.

I think I shall have ice cream.

I hope your week has been good and that your weekend will include at least one fun adventure.

Time is marching on, and soon another month will tick away...don't let it pass without doing a random act of kindess, a treat for youself, something that makes you giggle and something that stirs your heart--balance, my friends!

Have the most blessed of days.

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Be sure to wash your feet before you go to bed!

One Petal, 2 petals, 3 Petals, 4!

Why would I ever agree to try to duplicate something!

Good grief.

Once you do it, it is a one of a kind.

But my friend asked for tips, so tips I shall give. Well, I will share pictures. 

Nope, the second one was not like the first one and the third was like neither the first  nor the second.

My background insisted on being darker and richer, so I just went with it!

The technique is the same, just don't add as much paint!

I have painted flowers for years,  but started enjoying the whimsicals more and more, so I had not painted a flower in several years.

I have a college friend that likes hydrangeas, so I planned to paint her this bowl before Christmas. Yes, I finally did last weekend, and she FINALLY got it as a RAK on Wednesday.

Yep, I am nothing if not the world's best procrastinator!  
Mother said that whatever you do, do the best you CAN!
I am an expert.  Of course, we all know that an expert is only a drip under pressure!  ;)

I learned to paint flowers mostly from Donna Dewberry books and books by Ross Stallcup. I changed them to suit my taste, as most painters should. I was AMAZED to find that some designers do NOT like people adding their own touches to designs.  I won't give my opinion on that, but you can probably tell! Lol

I feel kinda silly adding my tips for painting a hydrangea, since there are TONS of patterns out there. I recently bought a video from Maureen Baker, and discovered I had been doing it right, all along, not that I am certain there IS a right way.

There probably are lots of videos on YOUTUBE,  also.

But here I am...sharing that YOU can do this.

I will put a "pattern" in my etsy shop, so click on this link to go  To my etsy shop.  The price is $5 for those who wish to have this in pattern form.

Hey, visit my shop and see what I do.  ;)

I use filberts to paint most all of my flowers.  Use the appropriate size for the surface you are painting

The background was created using DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics: Cobalt Turquoise Hue, Dioxazine Purple, Yellow Green Light.

I flecked it with my choice of  Dazzling Metallics.

You may chose any color to paint your flowers.  Choose a dark (pretty dark), medium and a Light Color--most any of the whites would work.

Hydrangeas come in many different colors.

For the stems/leaves, use your favorite greens. Again, choose a Dark, medium and light green.

Here are the step by step pictures.

Enjoy and I hope you will give it a try!

sorry, this is out of order, but I didn't want to have to move it...

This was the original piece

These are the 2 that
I did trying to duplicate
the first one...heavy sigh...LOL

Here is the link to buy the pattern for the hydrangea

I hope you will try different things.
Learning is fun!
I am simply blessed to create ~ charlotte♡

On the Tenth day of Christmas...

On the Tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...LOL

How fast have the days gone by since Christmas?

I just logged on to do my WORD for 2017, and mercy, I found this post I did on the 28th, and never finished it, so, being one not to WASTE things, I am going to share this.

Our Team on Etsy, FAAP is having an after Christmas Sale.  I have been blessed to sell 4 items and I am grinning from ear to ear!  I thought I would share the 20 items that I still have listed at a discounted price.

Remember, that Holiday items make GREAT Wedding Gifts!  One of the best wedding showers I ever attended, was a Holiday Shower.  Most people get every day items, but when the holidays roll around, they have to go shopping, which, isn't a REAL problem, but just something to think about.

I sure do love that I get to create things with my hands.  All those days that Mother did her best to keep our hands busy, I never had any idea the seed she was planting for the direction of my life.
I KNOW, she was doing her best to keep me and Brian from fighting, but what great skills she was also implanting in my world.

IF you have children, PLEASE teach them to love the arts, and the joy of doing work with their hands.  Yes, game playing does teach them skills, but to CREATE something is a gift.  Teach them BASIC skills they will need for life--to cook, to repair things, to grow things (yes, I guess mold on food in the fridge is a lesson, too), to organize their toys/books/possessions, to HELP with chores--not EVERYTHING we do deserves MONEY to get it done, because service is a vital part of living.

I am so thankful for the lessons my Parents taught me, even when I didn't know they were teaching me!  WOW--what a blessed child I was.

Check out my teammates items, also.  

I am surrounded by talented artists!

Click here to magically pop into my etsy shop!

Thank you to each of you that has encouraged me.

You have no idea how much it means!

BUT you have ONLY yourself to blame 

for seeing more of me--LOL

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡