Make a Wish

I thought it would be fun to share

 how I created a dandelion.

I  always think of my friend, Cheryl!

All of the products are by Decoart.

I based a 4 inch wooden canvas

 Lamp Black

I used my favorite dry wall 

tape as a stencil.

I added Indian Turquoise, Antique White, and Foliage Green. 

I didn't clean my stencil brush out between colors. 

It helped create other colors. 

Turn the tape different directions.

This is NOT an OCD-friendly project.🙄😕

Oh, lookie, a friend came to help me decorate for Halloween! 😁😂🤣

I then added circles with punchinello to add more interest.

I was using a small stencil brush, and look what I discovered.

It made a flower!

I  taped it off so you could see it.

How fun is this! 

I added squiggly lines of Lemonade, Foliage Green, and Plantation pine.

I drew a circle to show you where my dandelion would be.

I lightly stippled the circle with 

Titanium White.

I added lines of Foliage Green and Plantation Pine.

Public service Announcement: buy a good 18/0 liner! It makes all the difference in the quality of your linework! Even with quick and simple projects!

Small dots of Lamp Black were added to the center with a stylus.

Next Marigold dots were added--just a few.

Titanium White Dots were added with a large stylus, keeping them various sizes, and, yes, randomly placed.

Finish with just a few tiny Lamp Black Dots.

How easy was that?!

I added the word WISH with a Decoart Americana Stencil.

I shaded around the edges with my favorite Payne's Grey.

Of course, I had to make a domino, too...

AND a 3 inch canvas, too!

My goodness, this was really fun.

I KNOW you can do this.

Please share if you do.

Let's go out and paint wishes! 😚😊🙄

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!

I am a Chicken

What another beautiful day in Middle Tennessee!

Charcoal and I walked around the pond for the second day, and I tell ya, my pj bottoms (yes, I was in my "uniform") got hung on a blackberry stem, and I didn't think I would get loose! Charcoal FINALLY came to check on me. I escaped with only one briar in my finger.

Ah, the antics of my life.

A few days ago, I was chatting with a painting friend, and we got on the subject of chickens.

For most people who have painted for a long time, you have painted lots of different subjects, with most coming in batches. 

Chickens was once about all I painted for a year. I painted them on everything--pots, jars, birdbaths, small tables, stools, signs, plaques, 6 feet signs, glasses, tiles, rocks, bricks, cut outs--just about anything you can imagine, in many different sizes and colors.

I got pretty good at painting them, but had no idea if I could still paint one.

So, today was the day.

I would try to paint a rooster.

I am showing pictures of the steps. It is painted on an 8x10 canvas. Most of it is painted using a dirty brush. That means that I painted wet-on wet and mixed the colors as I was painting my surface. This is how I taught myself to paint and is still my favorite way to paint.

So, why did I paint so many chickens?

I had a customer who collected them. For every holiday, her husband stopped in to buy her another one. I was seldom without a new one.

The customer told about having to get an electrician to do some work in their house. He explained what the electrician was about to see, but not to worry. He could move whatever he needed to move. 

The moment came and they walked into the house. The man froze as he looked around. He then said, "well, cock-a-doodle-damn!"

That was one of mother's favorite stories.

Oh, how we all need to laugh more! 

It is fun to see the people who have moved in and out of my life AND the thousands of pieces of art I have painted.

Maybe more chickens will be in my future--one never knows, does one!

Have a Blessed Easter as we REMEMBER. 

I am simply blessed to create ~charlotte ♡

The BIG MOUTH FROG

In honor of what would be My Mother's 85th birthday, I want to share her favorite joke she told many times.

Boy, do we need to laugh!

It won't be the same as her telling it, because her facial expressions and voice fluctuations made it funnier.

Daddy couldn't tell a joke to save his life, but Momma could...

The BIG MOUTH FROG

One day Miss Frog had a baby. Being a new mother, she had no idea what to feed her baby. She decided that she would hop around the zoo and ask the mothers what they fed their babies.

Miss Frog hopped up to the monkey, and in a loud voice, with her mouth opened wide, she said:

Mother Monkey, what do ya feed your babies.

Miss Monkey said: bananas.

Miss Frog, said: oh, thank ya very much...

She hopped on to see Miss Robin Red Breast and asked in the same loud, Southern voice:

Mother Robin, what do ya feed your babies?

Miss Robin replied: big fat juicy worms!

Miss Frog said: oh, thank you very much.

Next Miss Frog hopped to Miss Sheep and asked:

Mother Sheep, what do ya feed your babies?

Mother Sheep replied: grass

Miss Frog said with her loud voice : oh, thank ya very much

This went on for most of the day--mothers sharing, as only mothers do, when Miss Frog hopped to the other end of the lake and saw Mother Alligator sunning herself.

HAPPILY, and loudly, Miss Frog asked:

Mother Alligator, what do you feed your babies?

Mother Alligator, with eyes fixed, and in a cold, Harsh voice replied emphatically: BIG MOUTH FROGS...

Miss Frog in shock and through tightly pursed lips, very quietly replied: Oh, thank you very much!

This is why I paint so many frogs. It is a way to share a memory.

Mother and Daddy were my biggest fans. With every stroke of my brush, the love of my parents flows onto the surface.

I have no clue why I won the lottery when it came to parents, but I cherish the memories and am thankful beyond words for the Godly example they were to us and to our community.

I joked at the funeral home, as I proudly stood by Mother's casket, that she LOVED everybody. Yes, she really did. She loved people who treated her harshly, but she prayed for them and always offered a smile, even though I know how tough it was. You see, I was one of those awful people. While I knew how loved I was, I was often unkind and ugly, yet, she loved me unconditionally and replied to my ugliness with a heartbroken smile and "I LOVE YOU."

I share this today with you in hopes YOU will see your own ugliness and repent, because once you say words of hate, they never can be taken back. One day, you will regret them.

The Great news is that YOU ARE LOVED by a Father who loves you unconditionally and who sent His only Son to save You--not to condemn you. He can change YOU. He will forgive you and make your life whole, beautiful and new.

This is what I know Mother would say to all of us. She would also say, in her lovely southern accent: I love you.

She shared John 3:16 and always shared verse 17, because she said it was important to KNOW that there is no condemnation given by God, through Christ Jesus. She shared this message with thousands of people and always ended with: if you haven't been told today, then know that I love you and God loves you.

Accept the love shown you, and return no man, evil for evil.

I am simply blessed to create ~charlotte ♡


Most of these patterns can be found at  THE DECORATIVE PAINTING STORE (CLICK HERE)

OR in my etsy shop By clicking here