1000 Ideas about Simple Watercolor – Pinterest
1000 Ideas about Watercolor – Pinterest
1000 Ideas about Watercolor Art – Pinterest
Monthly Archives: January 2017
Beautiful Day – This and That
pixabay.com
We’re having a stellar day here in Greenwood, Arkansas today. It’s 55 degrees and sunshiny right now. We were just out to run errands, and I find it hard to believe it’s January.
We mailed my order of stationery and note cards today. I cleaned up my art room (surprise, surprise!) and it’s now set up for me to play with my ideas for Christmas cards and wooden ornaments. I’m excited about FINALLY getting the ideas rattling around in my brain down on paper and wood!
I’m planning to try Practice # 4 on my new “Gentle Yoga Flows” DVD from Sixty & Me this afternoon, plus we’re going bowling with friends tonight. It’s hard to think of a nicer way to spend a beautiful day.
By the way, we discovered a TV show that’s new to us, called, “Outsiders.” We found it is starting Season 2 tomorrow night. We were able to DVR a marathon showing of the whole Season 1. We – like idiots – stayed up ’til all hours for two nights (3 a.m. this morning) watching the episodes. For us, it’s reminiscent of “Sons of Anarchy” with strong characters and lots of action. I’m impressed with the acting. We look forward to starting Season 2 tomorrow. You might want to check it out.
Have a wonderful day!
Filed under Good Thoughts, opportunities
Oil Paintings I Love – Animals – Take 5
Bathroom-Bedroom-Mondernism (I wish I could make out the name of the artist here. It’s David Stribbling, I think.)
KG03 Direct2Artist
Filed under Oil Paintings I Love
Button Art – Take 11
Etsy.com-BellePapiers
Laura Bell – BellePapiers – Etsy.com
Filed under Button Art, Creativity
Dogs and Cats Can’t Get Along – Take 5
Owl for the Night via Emily Davis, Trendingly.com
Imgur.com via Emily Davis, Trendingly.com
Vanessuhh via Emily Davis, Trendingly.com
Unknown photographer via Emily Davis, Trendingly.com
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography
Great Valentine’s Day Bears – So CUTE!
Be-Mine-Bear” by Debbie Garrett
Be-Mine-Cupid-Bear by Debbie Garrett
Gentleman-Bear-With-Rose by Debbie Garrett
“Panda Sweater Bear 1” by Debbie Garrett
“Panda – I Love You” by Debbie Garrett
Panda-Love-Bear by Debbie Garrett
“Prisoner of Love 2” by Debbie Garrett
*Last Day to Order for Valentine’s Day 2017 for items using cross-stitch is January 30, 2017
*Last Day to Order is February 3, 2017 for all other items.
Filed under Holiday Gift Ideas, holidays
Stationery and Note Cards Order Finished!
I told you that I had a delightful surprise recently of getting two orders for my work in the space of 10 minutes. That happens quite rarely, and I’m still walking a bit above the ground. One of the orders was for a St. Patrick’s Day one-of-a-kind wooden plaque. The other was for a package of watercolor note cards and a package of deckled edge painted stationery and envelopes. The above picture gives you an idea of the note cards. Each is different, accented with pastels and initialed.
There are 10 different designs with correspondingly painted envelope flaps.
Here is a sample of the deckled edge painted stationery and corresponding envelope. Again, 10 different designs in the package.
Also included are 10 blank deckled edge sheets to use for longer letters. Personalization of each sheet or note card and envelope is included at no extra charge.
Filed under Uncategorized
Hope for the Future
I’m trying to grow some celery from packages I bought at the store.
The idea is to cut off the bottom of each bunch of celery and put them in water to sprout. When they are forming roots, you transplant them to a soil-filled container or the garden. Since I can’t grow them outside now, I’ll transfer them soon to a planter I have on the window sill in my dining area. It’ll be fun to see if I can actually grow a plant from here.
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Los Angeles Zoo Signs – Take 3
Obvious Plant via Evie Zimmerman, trendingly.com
Filed under Grin for the Day
Small Steps
Katie Kacvinsky via hangoutwithoutfreakingout via Desiree Angelique Hackett
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
Playing in My Art Room
Yesterday I started painting my newest order for stationery and note cards in my newly cleaned and organized art room. What a pleasure! I finished the package of deckled edge floral stationery last night and I’ll start the package of note cards today. I’ll share some photos when I’m finished.
I have to tell you I love my life. I don’t know how I ever found the time to work full-time, as I did for some 45 years. Then I changed to working from home, continuing to do medical transcription I used to do at an office in Fort Smith. I also started my website, Creative Artworks, in 2000.
I still run my website, which has about 25 other artists right now. I love writing this blog, trying not to bury you alive in pictures I’ve found, thoughts I’ve had, and more each day. I love working in my art room on orders or ideas for new things, plus working in our shop with my husband, creating metal yard critters out of scrap metal, cutting new mailbox decorations out on our CNC setup with computer-guided torch, creating stained glass pieces and mosaics. I’m brimming with ideas for a new mosaic project, a new technique for working with gourds, a glass etching, and ideas for a new theme for Christmas cards and wooden ornaments.
My raised bed square foot garden is always in my thoughts. As soon as I finish a few more things, I’ll get out my master ‘map’ of my six 4’x4′ raised beds and figure out what I’d like to try to grow for our veggie garden in the spring, as well as where to put them in the garden. I’ll start some spinach seeds inside, since I have real trouble finding spinach plants.
A gift that keeps on giving is our brick planter beds all around the house, brimming with flowers. We’re trying to add more perennials each year, since we ARE getting older, as well as planting our favorite annuals each year.
I started practicing yoga – the old ladies’ version called “Gentle Yoga” by Sixty & Me. I’m still surprised that it is so helpful in controlling pain and promoting flexibility and better balance. I’ve bought a 2nd DVD from them, called, “Gentle Yoga Flows” which combines what is taught in the first DVD set and guides you through four different practices that leave me feeling looser and much more relaxed.
I have more books than I can read and feel rich for it. I love learning new skills. Between the Internet, YouTube demonstrations, and books (either physical or on my Kindle) I can learn things as fast as this old brain can absorb them. What a luxury!
My husband’s and my health are improving, thanks to our low carb lifestyle and a newer emphasize on avoiding as much sugar as we can. We’re both feeling better for it. (The latest new thing is Cashew Milk, thanks to my sister-in-law, Mary Lou’s, recommendation.) It has 25 calories and 0 grams of sugar per serving. He says it doesn’t taste watery and likes the more creamy taste. My husband is wonderful about encouraging my efforts to cook new recipes, not griping if the recipe is just not for us, and very complimentary if I find one he likes. This makes it ALMOST fun to cook!
The days, weeks, months, and years whiz past our heads. We truly enjoy getting in as much fun as possible each day.
So – today picture me up in my art room, dancing to favorite CDs while painting note cards…
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
Getting the Lard Off Progress (?) Report – 1/18/2017
Amazing Creatures
I’m trying to remain positive, but I’m still having trouble not eating after dinner.
My newest track on this is going back to the orange dream bar I ate each night as my dessert – something I can look forward to every day. THEN, if I’m up in the middle of the night (as I was last night for an hour or so) I’m TRYING to content myself with a sugar-free chocolate pudding or veggies and dip. Last night my husband came downstairs, too, and we both felt potato chips calling to us…. :0(
To date I’m down 35 pounds and 20 inches.
Funny Image Collection
On my efforts to move more, I’m doing much better, having found yoga for old broads. Sometimes I run out of time and energy and don’t practice my yoga every day, but most days I’m on the mat.
I’m using 2 programs: “Gentle Yoga” and “Gentle Yoga Flows,” both by Sixty & Me, with the same wonderful instructor. I’m concentrating now on the Flows, planning to do Practice 3 today. My goal is to do one session on a particular part of the body, such as “Hips,” and then one of the ‘flows’ each day, making an hour.
If I continue to do well, I’ll add strength training and my elliptical a couple of days a week.
I am the poster child for couch potatoes, doing lots of work on my computer or trying to create something in my art room, so this is a HUGE change for me. My problems haven’t gone completely away, but I’m feeling more in control of what’s happening in my body now.
________________
I’m hoping that the continued exercising and trying not to chow down after dinner or in the middle of the night will finally get me off my plateau-from-Hell on my weight. My main goal remains –
taolife.com
Filed under Challenges, Changes, DIET!, exercise
Tour of My Now Clean Art Room
On the second floor of our home we converted a third bedroom into my art room. My husband and I built these shelves in the hallway outside the bedroom, plus installed some cabinets underneath with a top to hold some supplies. The shower curtain to the right of the picture keeps dust (and cats) out of our linen area.
This is my drafting table where I do most of my painting. I have a sheet of vinyl to protect the actual drafting table, and then I have a large piece of heavy glass. This was set up to start my new Christmas cards and ornaments, but will be cleaned off to start painting the stationery and note cards order.
We put up shelves over a dressing table area. I have all kinds of ribbons and string on two long rods below the shelves and above the counter top. The counter top is set up for making jewelry. To right right are shelves full of note card and stationery supplies.
I’ve set up this table as a ‘learn to draw’ table, with my Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book, with lessons to work through, templates I made before, the beautiful pencils set my husband got me for Christmas, etc. This is also the area where I do things with my alcohol ink. (You can see the wooden base my husband fixed for me, making holes the little bottles of alcohol ink can sit in.)
This is the far end of the room, past the drafting table in the middle and the drawing area to the right of the picture. We hung shelves all the way across to hold supplies over a counter top with drawers on both sides. Between the drawers I have three roll-arounds.
As you see, I have many wonderful things to work with in my art room. My biggest problem trying to clean is that I want to stop and do something with a wonderful ‘thing’ I had forgotten I had… I could easily spend all day every day here, playing with my goodies.
I hope you enjoyed the tour. This afternoon I’ll be heavily into creating stationery and note cards for my customer. I’m not sure if she wants personalization or not yet. I’m excited to get started!
Have a wonderful day!
Wonderful Change in Plans
Yesterday I finished cleaning up and reorganizing my art room in preparation to start working on a new theme I wanted to do for custom Christmas cards and wooden Christmas ornaments.
When I was taking a victory lap I received two orders! One was for a one-of-a-kind plaque I made for St. Pat’s Day. I have that packed up and ready to mail. The other order I received within 10 minutes of the first, was for a package of floral note cards–
and a package of deckled edge floral stationery!
As I showed my husband the results of three days of trying to get more organized in my art room, I joyfully moved aside what I needed for my personal project and prepared to dive in what I love to do the most – create something I hope will bring someone a smile.
Filed under Delightful Surprises
Still Buried, but Peeking Out…
James McInvale Illustration
This isn’t my art room, but it gives you an idea of what I’m trying to organize in preparation for actually working in there to give voice to some ideas banging around in my brain lately.
- I’ve cleaned and organized a space where I can try to create jewelry.
- I’ve cleaned and organized a table where I can work through the lessons from Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, working up to enjoying all the glorious pencils my husband got me for Christmas.
- I’ve cleaned off the counter top that runs from one side of the room almost to the other side under my shelves on the opposite side of the room from the jewelry area.
What remains is the mess in, around, and on top of my drafting table – the place I need clean in order to work on my latest ideas.
I DID manage to gather the wooden ornaments I want to paint as samples for some custom, personalized ornaments for the website. I also have the card stock and envelopes, plus paint ready for the cards, plus the letter stamps for the back of the cards.
I’m hoping that I can finish getting things either put away and organized or thrown away today so that I can start playing.
Wish me luck, please!
Beautiful Baskets – Take 8
Montana Willow Basket – Pinterest
I WANT THESE!
nmb.mnb.ca
The Basketry Collective
Filed under Beautiful Baskets, Creativity
Paper Art – Take 3
Paper Drummer – She Hirata – via SmashingMagazine
Indian Tree via SmashingMagazine
Castle – Wataru Itou – via SmashingMagazine
Filed under Creativity, paper art
Rainy Days
Giggle Juice via Vickie Eisenlohr
We’re really dry here in Arkansas, so I’m delighted that we’re having several days in a row of nice rain.
I also freely admit I’m grateful we didn’t have ice this time and we’ve only had one snow so far this winter (knock on wood).
I’m using the time when it’s nicer to be inside to TRY to get better organized. (I know – you’ve heard this before….)
For example, I spent some time upstairs in my art room yesterday afternoon. I was planning to get started on some ideas I have for some new Christmas cards and some painted wooden ornaments. The room is in SUCH a mess that I spent much of the time trying to get things put away, find the things I was looking for, etc.
I DID clear off a work table. I set it up as a ‘learn to draw better’ station, with the new, gorgeous suitcase of all kinds of pencils my husband gave me for Christmas. (It has drawing pencils of lots of gradations, colored pencils, prisma color pencils, pastel pencils, charcoal and more.) I found my Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book I’ve had for years which has lessons that will help me see things with the more creative side of my brain, helping me reproduce what I’m seeing in a more satisfying fashion. (At least I HOPE so anything is up from here. :0) ) The last time I tackled the book I made several templates suggested in the book to help me focus on a particular thing. I found those, as well. All is set up for when I can make the time. I hope to get through all the lessons this year.
Most of the rest of the room is awful. I’ll spend some time today setting things to rights – at least so my drafting table is clean and I finish finding what I was looking for yesterday. The biggest problem is that I have a lot of fun stuff up there. As I try to put things away, I get distracted by what I find, making me want to stop cleaning and play…
I’ll try to do Practice 3 this afternoon of my new “Gentle Yoga Flows” DVD by Sixty & Me, and tonight we’re going bowling with three good friends.
Beautiful morning, afternoon in my art room and stretching to yoga, bowling and ice cream with friends this evening. It doesn’t get much better than this!
I hope that YOU are having a wonderful day, too.
Filed under Attitude, Challenges, Changes, Housekeeping - Maintenance, I'm a slob
Beautiful Morning
It was really foggy earlier this morning, but I tried to catch how beautiful the morning was so I could share it with you.
We got some rain overnight, and it’s supposed to be rainy this morning, but it’s just wet with really nice clouds between one ridge line and the next.
This view is really calming. It’s very quiet right now, and we can pretend it all belongs to us. As far as I’m concerned, if I can SEE it, I can claim it as ‘mine.’ :0)
These photos are all taken from our deck, facing in different directions.
I love the way the clouds form kind of a roll between the ridge lines – like a roll of cotton.
Mother Nature is being good to us today, putting on a really nice show.
Filed under Arkansas, Mother Nature
Sunday Afternoon Fun
HandsOnAsWeGrow.com
I’ve decided that this afternoon is a perfect time for me to have some fun.
I thought of some ideas for new Christmas cards and Christmas ornaments. The ideas have been driving me nuts, rattling around in my head, particularly when I’m trying to get some sleep.
I’m going to take this nice Sunday afternoon to go up to my art room and play – to at least get a start on seeing if I can bring my ideas to paper and wood.
I hope that YOU have some fun ideas on how you’ll spend this glorious day. Have some fun!
Filed under Attitude, Bright Ideas, Childlike Fun, Lewis Art, opportunities
Snow Goon Mailbox Decoration
Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson is one of our all-time favorite cartoon strips. We created this Snow Goon to honor a terrific part of the strip. (A Snow Goon is a hostile, living snowman).
This is the back of the piece. I tried to blend in the horizontal bar attachment piece.
This is the front of the piece. It shows up nicely from fairly far away from our mailbox. We hope passers-by enjoy the decoration as much as we do.
Filed under Lewis Art, Lewis Mailbox Decorations
3 Skunks – No Waiting
Animals – National Geographic
These aren’t the actual skunks we saw, but it’ll give you the idea.
We went bowling with our good friends, the Taylors, last Monday evening. As we were driving out of the parking lot, anticipating ice cream at Braum’s, we saw not one, not two, but THREE skunks hurrying toward a culvert at the side of the road. We stopped the truck and watched them. They obviously lived in the pipe below the street, or it was a common way for them to get where they were going. There was no hesitation – they all hurried into the pipe and disappeared beneath the street….
Filed under Amazing Animals
Beautiful Baskets – Take 7
Creative Salvage
I love baskets and wooden boxes of all kinds. I’ve had to limit myself to simply looking at them – and drooling – staying away from anyplace where I actually might GET one, since I’ve officially declared myself a maniac about these. I can justify ANY number of boxes and baskets, finding endless uses for them. My husband has indulged my love for both, but we DO have to be able to walk through our home… The one above is a bread basket. Can’t you just picture a gorgeous loaf of French bread in this?
KSJD Radio
This one is exquisite with the beautiful southwestern design.
And this one is made from a gazillion newspapers!
Filed under Beautiful Baskets, Creativity
Poor Disenfranchised Fish!
As I do twice weekly, I was washing out Sweet Sally’s fish bowl today when all of a sudden I heard a small, “crack!”
The goblet I had been using as her fish bowl for more than a year suddenly gave up the ghost and died. I didn’t hit it on anything, bump it, or do anything differently than I’ve done countless times before. My poor fish was in a small bowl with a towel over it, waiting for her home to be cleaned and her to be able to enjoy fresh, clean water and scrubbed decorations and aerator – but her home was gone.
I had to look for quite a while to find her old home. I got it cleaned up and Sally back in as soon as I could.
I got her wonderful, big goblet from the exclusive emporium of Wal-Mart. I’ve found that a lot of the time, when I really like something, they have quit carrying it the next time I go. We’re going tomorrow, so I’m keeping all appendages crossed that I can replace her home so she is no longer disenfranchised, but time will tell.
I feel as if I’m in the Peter Pan movie – the part where they say, “Clap if you believe in Tinkerbell….” I’m clapping as hard and fast as I can that Sweet Sally gets her home back.
Filed under Challenges, Changes, Family
creativeartworksblog 