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♡

Sam...Saturday, June 20, 2015

 I thought it was time to share another FREE project using DecoArt Chalky Finish...OK, I cheated and used Americana Raw Umber because I was too lazy to dig into the bottom box to get out the brown...lol  BUT, this shows you how you can easily use Americana Paint with the Chalky Finish Paints...

I wanted this to be a PRIMITIVE piece, since I was making it to sell on my Etsy's Primitive and Folkart Team (FAAP)...We are having an AUCTION today on our Page on Facebook...go join us...The sale ENDS on Sunday, June 21,2015 at 5 pm Central Time.... 
FAAP AUCTION AND SELLING PAGE (click here to go there)


I started by adding a coat of CARBON (Black)...notice that I put tape where the hat brim will go...I also left the back of the hat brim unpainted on the back so I could wood glue them together...Glue will not HOLD pieces that are not glued raw wood on raw wood!

 I taped off the two stripes to leave the stripe that would 

be painted LACE (White)

At this point, I took an old white stick candle and put wax 

where I wanted the paint to peel.

I added the wax heavier on the edges and I avoided the area that would be the face...that is just MY preference...

 I painted the center stripe and the bottom half with LACE (a white).  I used 2 coats to get a better coverage...I KNOW, it is going to be sanded, but I think it looks better to have a good foundation.

 I removed the tape and put it on the INSIDE of the white stripes to paint the 2 red stripes...

on the sides, I painted the red down to where 

the hat brim would go...

I used 2 coats of ROUGE (RED) to paint this.

I wanted a darker blue, so I added some 

CARBON (Black) to LEGACY (Blue)

This is ready to SAND...I use my hand sander...WHOOSH.....

 Perfectly Prim!

 I drew on the features with a pencil so you could see...

I used a wooden plug for the nose.

 I made the fleshtone by mixing

 LACE (white) with Smitten (Peach)...

I showed the scruffy brush that I used to add 

ROUGE (RED) to the cheeks and nose...

use VERY little paint...this is where people can make a BIG mistake...wipe almost all of the paint out of the brush for this step!

I added the mouth with CARBON (Black) and

the lips with Rouge (Red)

 I added the eyes with Carbon (Black) and 

shaded the face/moustache with RAW UMBER.  

I added highlights and the lettering with LACE (white)...

I went around the piece with my Raw Umber to give it more of an antiqued look...you could antique this if you want...

I will add 3 coats of DuraClear Ultra Matte and

 put a hanger on the back...That will be IT!!

You can EASILY paint this project 

with regular Americana Acrylics, 

but I LOVE to use the Chalky Finish Paints!!

 

Be sure to visit DecoArt's Website (click here).

See their AMAZING products AND

look at all the FREE patterns they offer to use these products!

 

Below, is the pattern...to save it to your computer, Right Click on the picture and choose SAVE AS...your computer might say something different, but there should be an option to save!

You are MORE than welcome to make these to sell, but PLEASE do NOT claim the pattern/instructions as your own...give me credit...Do not mass market this pattern/item...feel free to resize as you need and enjoy this quick and easy project...feel free to add YOUR STYLE to this...

I hope you have FUN with this...As you are painting, remember those who have gone before us to keep us free...LIVE your life THANKFULLY...Treat others as YOU WANT to be treated, and it is NOT your problem if they choose not to return the kindness...hang in there because KINDNESS does MATTER!!  I wish GLORIOUS...BLESSINGS to YOU...~charlotte

Let the CELEBRATION Begin! Sunday, February 1, 2015

Let's have a SHOW OF HANDS for those who are TIRED of WINTER already...

Then, LET the CELEBRATION BEGIN!!

My Etsy Team, The Folkart and Primitive Team is CELEBRATING TWO YEARS in existence...You KNOW what people say about the TERRIBLE TWOS!  WE MIGHT just do SOMETHING CRAZY!!

And YES, we ARE...We are having a GIVEAWAY...
Go to our our TEAM BLOG, The Folkart and Primitives  
and sign up to WIN...
Do NOT comment on MY blog, but on the TEAM BLOG, please!!

We have 23 gifts to give away!

There will be 7 (seven) winners 
On February 9th all 7 winning names will be selected
Then all prizes will be written on a paper put in a basket
and drawn out to go with the winner

First place will win a total of 7 prizes
second place will win 5 prizes
third place will win 3 prizes
and 4th thru 7th place will each win 2 prizes

To Enter you must follow our Team blog, 

and leave a comment on the post that shows all the Prizes...
*New followers are always welcome! *

For an extra chances, 

you can share this giveaway on your blog sidebar 

or do a blog post

Or Share on Facebook, Twitter etc.
just mention it in your comment
REMEMBER to include a contact email if you do not have it
for us to easily get hold of you

These are just SOME of the prizes we are giving away

This is donated by Kim of Valley Primitive Stitches

Cynthia of Cynzplace

 

Donated by Joann of Painted Panache

Leeann of Charmed Confections

Mindy of The Woodshop in WV

ME...

 Be sure to go to our TEAM BLOG to sign up NOW

Also, be sure to go to the etsy shops of the individual members...MANY are offering discounts!

I am giving a 20% discount on ALL SALES this week OVER $10 

Type in SPRING20 at checkout 

Visit my SHOP to see WHAT I have been doing!

My goodness...what TALENT we have on our team...I HOPE that YOU are using the GIFTS you have...Thanks for your support...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥

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

Choosing Colors for a Design...Friday, August 8, 2014

I recently joined the Puddles of Paint Club…Click  HERE to go to Susan's site.

Susan Kelly sent us a line drawing and asked us to put OUR TWIST to it…WELL, I didn’t twist TOO much, but I did decide to use Scrapbook Paper as my background since I had a piece with lily pads on it!

I really do like Frogs…I painted them long ago and stopped because THAT wasn’t what I had time to paint, BUT in the past few years, I started painting them again…SO this line drawing had me HOPPING to paint it…

After I chose my back ground, I had to choose the colors that I wanted to use…WELL, the frog was going to be GREEN, but I had to find a green that would stand out, so I chose Sour Apple.  WHEN I chose the MAIN color, I had to get a color that I could use to SHADE and to Highlight…I decided to go to the DecoArt’s website to find the colors that they suggested that I could use…Click  HERE  to visit this HELPFUL site…You will want to bookmark this link for future reference.

I went through this process several more times as I decided WHICH colors that I wanted to use…OFTEN we choose the colors we want to paint with BEFORE we decide on a background, but since I had my background chosen, I was working somewhat backwards...

 I have been working on painting backgrounds the past few months.  I painted SHAPES for so long that I never had to put any thought into a background  AND I also thought that IF I painted a design well, then the background would NOT matter…WRONG!!

Choosing a background is the same process as choosing a wall color or a piece of furniture…I think of the background as the PILLOWS on the couch…the Couch is often what we spend the most time with, BUT it is the PILLOWS that give it that POP when we add different textures, colors, shapes and designs…

I think it is important to carry the colors of your design ONTO the background so that your eye will be drawn into the painting.  Since I had my background, I decided that the mushrooms in my painting needed to coordinate with the flowers, SO I chose a Raspberry color for the BIG CENTRAL mushroom…The other colors were chosen in the same intensity, or hue, as the Raspberry…Once I had chosen my colors, then it was on to painting…

Charcoal says: REAL BOY DOGS chew PINK (French Mauve) Paint Bottles!!  LOL

I painted the edge of my wooden piece with Avocado, which was a main color in the paper.  I used Decou-Page to glue the paper to my wood…I didn’t worry about cutting the paper to fit exactly because once it was dry, I used a piece of sandpaper to trim the paper to fit~~just sand along the edge...you might need to reapply your paint on the wood, OR leave as is for a worn look...when this happens, I often antique it.

I coated the paper with  Satin Decou-Page again…NOW this is where I am not certain that I did the right thing…MAYBE I should have painted directly on the paper, but I didn’t…it MIGHT not have taken as many coats of paint to get a smooth coverage…I will be experimenting with this.

I added several coats of white paint to the design to cover the design from the paper…THEN I started building the colors…

I based everything…

Then I added the details…

AND more details…

I will be adding two coats of the Satin Decou-Page to seal the design and I THINK I will be sending this plaque down the road to a friend who ALSO loves frogs…It will need to HOP in the mail SOON…

I hope that you will take some designs and be unafraid to make the colors YOUR own…We as designers do what WE LIKE…we are just instruments to spark YOUR creativity…

Enjoy…Blessings to YOU…~charlotte♥ 

Don't Forget about the BLOG HOP...you have until the end of the month.

The Rusty Thimble has all the Rules...Click HERE

AND also, join our SELLING Page for a chance to win some MORE door prizes!!