Day 2 of the Art Challenge, Sunday, January 25, 2015

This is DAY 2 of my ART CHALLENGE and is another example of my being late to the game…LOL…

I LOVED this pattern the moment I saw it...it is painted on a very old cheese box

I have decided that THIS is the year that I will learn to paint primitives…YES, I KNOW that sounds silly, BUT when I attempt to paint them on my own, They all turn out to be BRIGHT HAPPY COLORS…My friend laughs at me and says for ME to try to step over to the DARK SIDE is a very scary thing…

I started this on the last day of 2014 and FINISHED it on the FIRST day of 2015...We all need an angel watching over us

WELL, MAYBE, but I think I have done pretty well, but then HOW can someone FAIL when they paint a Terrye French design?  While I might be late at learning this style, I am RIGHT on TIME with my appreciation of these creations and for my friends who paint them so beautifully…

I will LEARN that it is OK for things NOT to be in proper perspectives, because THAT is part of the charm and I will LEARN that it is ok for my saltbox houses to be a bit crooked…sigh…

I seem to be painting ANGELS so far this year...LOL..I LOVE the music at the bottom and YES, it is Hark The Herald Angels Sing... ;) 

I have shown you 3 Terrye French designs that I enjoyed painting and can’t wait to paint MORE…

One of my FAVORITE PRIMITIVE PAINTERS is Jan Young of RaggedyJan...please go to ETSY and find her...she is AMAZING...be sure to scroll through her SOLD items to see how wonderful her painting is!!

I HOPE that YOU will try new things this year...step out of your comfort zone, but WHATEVER you do, do it with a GRATEFUL HEART...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥

Art Challenge, Day 1, Thursday, January 22, 2015

There is a ART CHALLENGE going around on Facebook and it is really fun to see!  It is not only happening in the PAINTING world, but in EACH category of Art....

This is my FIRST mixed Media.  It was designed by my friend from Italy, Franca Marzi!  We both enjoy a LOVE of cooking and that is how we struck up a conversation!

 I was nominated for the ART CHALLENGE by Lisa Kast Robinson to share for 5 days, 3 items each day that I have created, and then I was to nominate another artist each day to do the same.  Lisa is an AMAZING artist who makes the cutest little creatures from gourds and light blubs...WELL, anything...Be sure to check out her Facebook page at Prim Chicks!  She is also on etsy with her patterns AND her creations!

I am LATE to all the games, it seems…I have NEVER liked to take pictures, so I have very few of my older items.  I have been on Facebook since June 2012, and that is when I bought a digital camera and started showcasing my art, so I have nothing from when I started doing craft shows in 1986!  That is PROBABLY a good thing because I was VERY BAD!  

This is a design by my cohort in crime...She is HILARIOUS...She has been such a good friend to me and I LOVE her whimsical animal designs...she is taking a break from it right now, but I just KNOW she will be back to designing soon!!  I LOVE my Ni Ome from down under!

Today I share 3 items that I painted that my friends designed…I LOVE to encourage and to support my fellow artists…I find great joy in painting the designs of those I LOVE because I spend my painting time thinking about them…I never knew what satisfaction could come from this…

This is a Sharon Cook design...I LOVE this happy little bird! 

The Bird is a Sharon Cook design…the rabbits are designed by Niomi Draper from Australia and the Angel over Tuscany is a design by Franca Marzi from Italy…Today, I wish to nominate my sweet friend and wonderful supporter, Sharon Cook to accept the ART CHALLENGE…Come on Sharon, Show us your AWESOME creations!

Sharon ACCEPTED the challenge and has been sharing her AMAZING painting and designing pieces...

This have been fun to see my friends sharing their painting creations and there is LOTS more to come...stay tuned for my day 2...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥

Folkart and Primitives: Do you have your Calendar Marked for our Big Celeb...

Folkart and Primitives: Do you have your Calendar Marked for our Big Celeb...: It will begin on Feb the 1st and run until Feb 8th Help The Folkart and Primitives etsy team Jump start Spring But Wait a minut...

A CELEBRATION is about to HAPPEN! Tuesday, January 20, 2015

A CELEBRATION is ABOUT to HAPPEN!

I am a PROUD Member of the Folkart and Primitive Team on Etsy.  (FAAP)

What is a team, you may ask...It is a group of sellers who ban together to try to HELP each other SELL more items...

And just HOW do you help OTHERS, you may ask...WE do treasuries, a group of items from each shop, and post them in Etsy.  We do NOT include our own items in a treasury, so we are in fact, PAYING it FORWARD...People HEART our items and then they appear on other's FAVORITES and THAT is how we help each other to SPREAD THE LOVE!!  We also have groups on Facebook where we SHARE helpful hints that have worked for us and NEW ideas...We have CELEBRATIONS throughout the year and we are about to have a BIG ONE!!

February 1, 2015 will mark the 2 year anniversary of The Folkart and Primitive Team (FAAP)

It was started by our FEARLESS leader, Miss Brenda Griffith!  You can find her blog at The Rusty Thimble.  Go FOLLOW her. She has a giveaway each month.  She is the seamstress of my elves, Prince Charlie and Chester the Jester Elf...

We will have a GIVEAWAY, but you will have to WAIT for more details...BUT Get READY...it will be FUN!!

Visit our Team Blog

I think that we should CELEBRATE every day that we are given LIFE...SO get a SMILE in your Soul and ENJOY the MOMENTS you have been given and make the MOST of them

...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥

oh by the way, Be sure to visit My Etsy Shop

and

My Facebook Page

Be An ANGEL, Sunday, January 18, 2015

 I've often said on my Facebook page that I tend to THINK I should TRY harder to post something MORE INSPIRATIONAL on Sundays...ANYBODY who follows my Facebook Page knows that I don't try to hide the face that I am a Christian.  I am NOT ashamed.

I do my best to be a reflection of the LOVE that has been poured on me, but sometimes I fail miserably...sometimes I actually get it right!  The bottom line is that I TRY to do what is right and to apply the principals that I have been taught...

 I was a lucky girl to be raised on a farm.  Sure, times were hard and money was scarce, BUT we ALWAYS had what we needed.  I BELIEVE with my whole heart that is true BECAUSE of the way my parents lived.  They didn't just TELL me WHAT I needed to do and load us with a BUNCH of rules, they LIVED what they taught me.  Mother's favorite thing, it seemed to me, to tell me was LITTLE EYES ARE WATCHING YOU.  

My parents SHARED what they had.  If we had something and someone needed it, then they shared.  Daddy was forever picking something from the garden and taking it to someone and you know what, people did the SAME for us!

One of the most touching things I witnessed was when my Daddy's sister died.  Daddy had just cut hay and bailed it when he got the word about his sister.  Of course, he had to stop what he was doing and went and took care of the arrangements.  WHEN he got back, our neighbor and his sons had picked up EVERY SINGLE bail of hay for Daddy...He cried...I was BLESSED to be able to see my Daddy cry and let me tell you...HE WAS A MAN!

 We were not LOADED down with rules.  We KNEW what the expectations for us were.  NEVER did my parents tell me NOT to do something that they did, so I trusted them to know from experience WHAT worked in living a successful life, and it had NOTHING to do with MONEY!

I KNEW that on Sunday morning, no matter HOW LATE I stayed out on Saturday night, that I was to get up on Sunday morning, get ready and be at Sunday School and then church ON TIME and DRESSED as a lady with the best I had. I never questioned it.

We didn't have curfews.  Mother would say that she did NOT understand WHAT could be done AFTER midnight that couldn't be done BEFORE midnight.  She asked simply that we CALL and tell her if we were going to be home after midnight.  That was it.

She TRUSTED us and was so PROUD of our accomplishments...she didn't MOAN about the fact that we were getting old enough to drive, or to date, but she instead CELEBRATED them.  When each of us got our driver's license, we were given the keys to the family car to DRIVE to school alone the next day.  When mail came to the house addressed to US, then it was for US to open the mail.  We were RESPECTED and treated as humans, YET she was willing to LOVINGLY discipline us when we needed it...I've joked that to this day, SOMETIMES when I open my mouth, bubbles STILL fly out... LOL

We were taught to LIVE...We were taught to LOVE...and boy howdy, were we EVER taught to LAUGH...our dinner table was most ALWAYS filled with laughter and sharing of our days...And yes, that was ANOTHER of our rules...We were expected to be at the dinner table at 6:30 each night.  If we could NOT be there, then we were EXPECTED to PHONE and give the reason why!

We were taught to look for the BEAUTY in life...for the GOOD.  I can't tell you how many times that Mother told me that I would find WHATEVER it was that I was looking to find...She was SO right.

Mother and I had MANY tough times, but we loved each other...I was a Daddy's girl.  Even though Mother and I argued, I ALWAYS knew she was a strong, wise woman...I WISH I had been a better daughter for her...I was hard for her to handle because I was constantly hurting her feelings by saying WHAT I wanted without thought of how my words affected others...I am LEARNING because she LOVINGLY tell me I was WRONG, even when I was 40!

I HOPE she would be proud of the changes I have tried to make in my life since her death.  Mother LOVED without boundaries...She told EVERYONE that she met that she loved them and she meant it...she LOVED her enemies...At the funeral home, a man told me that since Mother was no longer earth-bound, that it was up to me to TAKE her place...I have taken those words to heart and I have worked SO HARD to improve ME...but I have a LONG way to go...

My challenge for EACH of you this week is to BE AN ANGEL for SOMEONE...do something kind...give an unexpected compliment, or write a note, phone a friend (nope...not the GAME), SMILE at people, take a gift to someone, THANK your child's friend for being a GOOD friend and for loving your child, FIND the GOOD in your spouse and tell THAT to others, take a treat to your co-workers, hold the door for someone, take food to the homeless, give a candy bar to someone that does services for you...do something for those who CANNOT repay YOU...it doesn't have to COST anything, it just needs to be FROM THE HEART...

Thank YOU for stopping by my little corner of the world...IF no one has told you today, let ME be the first to say I LOVE YOU...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥

To find my painted creations or to request a special order,

 you can find me in my etsy shop

In the Meadow We CAN build a Snowman...Thursday, January 15, 2015

I have always been one of THOSE PEOPLE who doesn't mind helping someone else develop their skills and I am pretty good about sharing HOW to do things...NOW, don't get me wrong, IF someone is trying to destroy my business or taking my ideas and claiming them as their own or are not willing to put in the time to learn, that is different, but MOST people are not that selfish, or at least I CHOOSE to believe they are not.

I was once told that I was a good painting teacher because I have a way to BREAK DOWN the end product into simple steps.  I was flattered.  I BELIEVE that WHEN someone wants to learn something, then they can...MAYBE they won't be AS GOOD as some, but they WILL be better than others!  I ALSO BELIEVE that we have to PRACTICE if we want to get better...learn new techniques, try new color combinations, try new styles...it is just part of growing.

I've had a few discussions lately with my designing friends about patterns...Doing a pattern WELL is different from doing a PATTERN...

I had to re-do a snowman for an OUTSIDE project I had done a few years ago, so I thought I would show how EASY it can be to come up with a project that you can SUCCESSFULLY complete.

I used Outdoor Grade Plywood...this is about 1/4 inch...BE CAREFUL about the thickness you are choosing because plywood tends to warp...IF it is going to be FLAT against something, that isn't too big of a deal, but this LITTLE snowman...he's about 20 inches wide and 23 inches tall...WARPED as soon as he was cut out!  grrrrr...but after getting him painted, he seems to have flattened out again.

You can purchase various sizes of plywood at the box stores, BUT if you need it, they will give you 2 free cuts to get it to a more manageable size...it is more expensive to buy the smaller pieces, but sometimes it is worth the money not to have to find a place to store the extra wood.  I started with a piece of plywood that was 2 feet square.

I grabbed a plate and a piece of chalk to draw the head...I would say that I left about 7 inches from the top and about 4 inches from the right side since I KNEW his left arm would be waving and take more room.  

Chalk is a WONDERFUL way to draw patterns because you can just use a damp cloth to erase the lines if you don't like them!

I added the body...just thought about a ROUND circle and added the arm....

I drew the TOP part of his hat next and then added the type of  hat brim that I wanted...NO, it doesn't have to be perfect...it is YOUR world and YOU make the rules!!

I am NOT a tool snob...BUY the BEST of what you can afford...do NOT go out and buy EXPENSIVE tools if you are not CERTAIN you will be using them!  It is amazing the things one can do with just a jig saw...When Daddy died, this was ALL I had and I could cut out some pretty awesome things with it...JUST BE careful...keep your fingers away from the blade UNTIL it stops...don't mess with it when it is plugged in!

This is so simple to use...just use it as you use a pair of scissors...follow your lines and do NOT force the blade to turn or it will jump and you WILL get injured...USE YOUR BRAIN!...it is that simple.

 You can see that I allowed the blade to cut ONLY what was basically a straight line...I could follow the curves and when I got to the point of where the design met, I would back the saw out and continue on in a straight line.  When I got all of the design cut doing this, THEN I came back with my saw going in the OTHER direction from my original cut and did the same thing to get those little nicks cut...it is so simple...just do NOT force your blade to TURN where it won't turn.

Plywood chips easily when you cut it...I chose a SCROLL blade to go into the jigsaw...it has more teeth and therefore, cuts smoother...the less teeth on a blade, the faster it will cut, but it will CHEW up your wood...Since this was something that did NOT need to be of the BEST quality, I didn't mind a few chips here and there...

A SANDER is your BEST FRIEND when cutting wood...it can smooth out the imperfections of cutting and smooth out those nicks... I use a hand sander for most of my sanding....I sand the edges first and then the front, the back and the front again...I wipe the dust off as soon as I finish.

 You can use most any kind of paint that you wish...IF painting something to go outside, you can use house paint, but I just used my beloved DecoArt Americana Paints and will seal it with 3 coats of outdoor varnish...

Since this is a bigger piece, I put a BLOB of white paint directly onto the wood...BE careful IF you do this because you have to work quickly so that it doesn't dry on the piece as you are painting...IF you are new to painting, I would STRONGLY suggest that you pour the paint onto a pallet instead of the wood...you know...DO as I SAY, NOT as I DO...ROFL!!

 I painted the front, the back and then 2 more coats on the front...ALWAYS paint the BACKS of your projects...ugh...

To mark your face, simply use the plate again...

 The hat is painted Black...

I used Traditional Burnt Sienna to FLOAT SHADE the outline of the WHITE Part of the snowman...There is a LOT of debate as to WHAT COLOR to float snowmen...I have seen one lady post REPEATEDLY that ALL snowmen should ALWAYS be floated with BLUE and on and on...OK...she HAS the RIGHT to do that...ME?  I float ANY COLOR I WISH!  I chose a BROWN this time because it is a primitive type design...sometimes I use BLACK...sometimes I use BLUE, but NEVER do I ALWAYS do ANYTHING...ROFL... REMEMBER that PAINTING should be FUN and should be a reflection of YOU and what YOU like!!

 I float shaded the hat with White...OFTEN I will use a GREY, but it doesn't matter...again...YOUR Choice!  Shading is something that I STRONGLY suggest that YOU SPEND time learning to do...there are TONS of videos on You Tube...AGAIN...there are TONS of different ways to do it, also...IF you can't shade yet, you can load a FLAT brush with BLACK and add some White to the corner of your brush and place the WHITE CORNER on the edge of what you are shading...it is a different look, but it is another technique that is good to learn...PRACTICE!!!  Oh, and SOME people to shade will put that color on their FINGER and just drag it along the edge...HEY, do what you gotta do!! 



 I used a large stencil brush to add the cheeks...use VERY little paint and a VERY light touch to SWIRL on the cheeks...IF you don't have a stencil brush, then you can use a rag...I just like this look and think that snowmen need big bright cheeks cause they are cold...

 Add the eyes, mouth, and buttons...you REALLY do need a GOOD brush to get GOOD lines...

 To make the nose, I always start with a C and then add the lines to form a CARROT...C is for CARROT...LOL...

I added the details to the eyes and that was it...SO simple!!

I will use wire to attach this snowman to the star...The star we are using was made from old tobacco sticks, but you can find SEVERAL ways to make them on pinterest!

I hope this will inspire you to TRY making something for YOU to use...WHEN you break down large shapes into SMALLER shapes, it really is not difficult...I've had so many people tell me that they CAN'T paint because they can't DRAW a STRAIGHT LINE...WELL, neither can I, but I SURE can use a ruler and VERY SELDOM do I have need of a STRAIGHT Line, so on to the NEXT excuse... ;)

I send you WARM WISHES on this COLD DAY in Middle Tennessee...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte

You have TOUCHED my Life Forever...Thursday, January 8, 2015

 I have enjoyed getting to know people since I have been on Facebook.  Because of that, I soon got a shop on Etsy...WHO KNEW that I would ALSO get to KNOW people there also because, after all, it IS a place to sell and not really to get to chat...

I usually free-hand items, but since I was making 7, I printed it out on the computer.  AND to make sure that I had the writing in the correct place, I folded the paper on the bottom and made creases so that the next ones could go into the same location to EASILY make them uniform!

I have made some really good friends because of Etsy and I have gotten to know people as I have been chosen to paint them something special...This order brought ANOTHER new friend to me.

After the writing was done on all of the signs, I then shaded around each AND around the first vase that was the same color...When doing SEVERAL of one item, it is SO MUCH FASTER to do assembly line work.

Dorothy contacted me about making a sign for her friends that she has had since childhood!  Each year they gather to share some special time.  I was SO lucky that she shared her story with me and in turn, I discovered that we had a LOT of similar experiences.

I shaded around the other vases and added the leaves and stems...

I discovered that her school colors were yellow and white, and MINE were Gold and White, but let's be honest, it was probably MORE YELLOW than it was gold...LOL...To Honor this, we put a yellow heart on the sign AND I made the butterfly and vase yellow and white to continue the importance of color.

Next came the flowers, doing ONE at a time and then I stenciled the butterflies and hearts WHITE and then went back and added the YELLOW to the heart...it makes the color BRIGHTER to add WHITE underneath, especially when using certain colors like yellow and red...

This was the First year for my new friend to have Christmas without her mother and she wanted a BUTTERFLY on each sign in Memory of her mother, who was loved by each of the girls...This was the third year that I had been without my Mother for Christmas...The empty seats around the table will NEVER be filled, but EACH CHAIR holds SUCH WARM MEMORIES, so they will NEVER be simply EMPTY CHAIRS...

BUTTERFLIES were so important to MY MOTHER...she never left the house without placing a butterfly pin on her left shoulder...When she was President of my Denomination's Women's Work, she was in a planning meeting and they were planning the theme and symbol.  Someone shared the following and it SOON became her trademark:  "Happiness is like a Butterfly.  The more you chase it, the more it will elude you, BUT if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and gently sit on your shoulder."  Mother radiated LOVE, JOY and Happiness...She was given butterflies from all over the world!

Details were added to the flowers...

 Dorothy shared that she had graduated from the SAME SCHOOL as her mother and she shared a picture of her Mother with a lei of flowers around her neck with the school colors...

My Daddy was the FIRST to graduate from the newly remodeled High School in my county and My Mother and two brothers ALSO graduated from the same BUILDING with my class being the next to the last to graduate from there...I SO understand heritage...

A Wash of color was added to each of the vases to make it look like the flowers were INSIDE of the vase...

Did I mention my new friend was from Hawaii?  


WELL, I can't see much that I have in common to THAT EXCEPT it gets HOT HOT HOT and VERY HUMID in Middle Tennessee in the summer...ROFL...We have beautiful GREEN pastures and lovely trees and flowers...My Daddy LOVED the hot weather and he NEVER complained about how hot it got...BUT BOY HOWDY, he sure did get COLD in the winter...LOL

This is the finished product NOW on its way to Hawaii...It should be getting there really soon!

I KNOW each of these will be given to a very special friend...I PRAY they will be MEANINGFUL and will put a smile on the face of each recipient... I LOVE to spread COLOR and HAPPINESS!

Right Click on the picture and SAVE AS to your computer!

I would like to give you this FREE PATTERN that I had offered a couple of years ago...IF you paint one, send me a picture so I can see it and SHARE it...The original was painted on a 4x4 inch piece of wood, so shrink or enlarge it to fit YOUR needs...Happy Painting!...

I am SO thankful for the opportunity to be a PART of this loving gift to my new friend's friends...I am SO glad that I get to KNOW people and THEIR Stories...ALWAYS feel free to drop by MY FACEBOOK PAGE and let me get to KNOW you and VISIT my MY ETSY SHOP  to see IF I can help YOU surprise a friend...

Aloha!...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥

I have used DECOART Acrylic Paints to paint this...The colors I used were:  Winter Blue, True Blue, Razzleberry, Petal Pink, Warm White, Marigold, Raw Sienna, Purple Cow and Lavender.