Summer Time Angel

I have to do a shout out to my new friend Sharon at Keen Inspirations for making my button!  It is GREAT!!   She has had a busy summer and I so appreciate her time and effort in getting this done for me.  Because we all know I am challenged at the computer.  But I have learned allot and my husband says my head looks bigger with all my new found knowledge! Such support!
Thank you Sharon!

Sunshine Award

I was completely surprised and honored that Celia at Falling off High Heels bestowed this award to me. A brand new, not completely knowing what I am doing, blogger!  Her blog is very insightful and inspiring.  Plus she has a great way with words and getting her ideas across to the reader in a wonderful way.  Please check her site out you will not be disappointed.

So in the spirit of the award the rule states that receiving this award the receiver is to pass it along to 12 other blogs...whose positively and creativity inspire others in the blog world. There are so many blogs that deserve this award and I am sure some of the ones I will list have received this but it never hurts to receive an award again! Here are the 12 blogs I am forwarding it to:

the thrifty ba
Keen Inspirations
Primgals Primitive Palette
Sarah Simplifies
SIMPLY HANDMADE
Join my Join
It's me
Gleeza
dimdi
Artwork by Junko Miyakoshi
Olde Annie Primitives
Feathered Whimsy

I hope you will stop by and see these sites.  Each one of them is so different and unique.  I enjoy them all. 
Enjoy your day!
Barb

Christmas In July Sale on Etsy!

July must be the month to start thinking of Christmas…Etsy is promoting a “Christmas in July” sale.  Not everything is related to Christmas but a good time to start your shopping!  When you go to Etsy and do a search type in “CIJ” or “Christmas in July” and it will pull up loads of goods to look at.  Everyone involved is giving some type of discount or free shipping.  I will be giving free shipping on all my ornaments and magnets through the month of July.


The reason I picked this specific ornament to show at the top of the page is because of the designer, Susan Van Alyne.  She was the teacher I learned to tole paint from.  She had such a way about her and made me feel like I could do this. (Some of my first works are a little hard to look at now but she was very encouraging.)  I took classes from her at the local craft store in Las Vegas for about 8 months then she moved to northern Nevada due to her husband’s job change. I feel like in those months she gave me the self confidence and the basic knowledge to keep at it and to continue to painting .  Then the more you do a thing the better and easier it becomes and the love of it flows. At least this is what I have found with painting.

Can you tell I love to paint this little guy!

Another Give Away!!

Sweet Sarah at Sarah Simplified has Christmas in July going at present. She has a number of wonderful things to give away, including one of my ornaments! Her blog site is so festive you will be so happy you visited!  Complete with music...makes you not think of the heat for a minute.

Snowman Give Away in July!

There are Angels among us and one happens to be Denalee at Silver Strands!! For a very inspirational blog stop here and watch her videos. I ended up linking to her because I also have “Silver Strands”.  Her blog name drew my attention.  So I checked it out.  Then after seeing her site I was hooked.  She is also the first person to follow my new blog!
What a wild and crazy summer already…but Snowmen in July?! So this will be the Holiday Snowman that will be for the give away at Silver Strands!!
 
 

Holiday Snowman

This is a hand made frame measuring 7 ½ x 7 ½ inches from reclaimed wood. The design is by Renee Mullins and has been adapted to fit the frame. This holiday snowman is ready to celebrate! The Snowman is holding a tree that has a star button and his friend, the cardinal, in the other arm. It has been hand painted on fiberglass black screen. The frame is painted Avocado Green. It has been sprayed with a matte finish. It has a saw tooth metal hanger on the back.
 
So follow the instructions on Silver Strands for points and inspiration.  It is a great site!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

I happened to be at a Provo craft store years ago when I saw that they were clearing out all these wood shapes. So thinking I could do something with them I bought cases of them and took them home to Las Vegas. Then they sat…were they bears? Were they aliens? What were they? (Think of naked wood critter holding a shovel.)  So there they sat in a closet.

(Thanks to Beth Ann for this photo)

Her blog is found here.

Then one day my husband said something about only being a second generation American. His family immigrating from Canada and I got it in my head that Canadians were called Frogs. ( I hope this doesn’t offend anyone and he happens to be Irish-Canadian). Then it hit me that these wood shapes were frogs or toads!  Because my family has been in America forever these toads became “Toad’ly American”.

I designed my first pattern for the wood shape and then for the framed black screen.  It was kind of a joke but not…anyway to make it even more interesting I was chosen to teach this pattern in the frame at a national painting convention. There in the front row of my class were about 6-7 Japanese women that had flown to this convention from Japan and spoke no English. I was a bit surprised but delighted that they were interested enough to take my class. I think they were there more for the technique then the actually pattern. They were all very sweet. I would love to know what they did with that art when they got home.

Next thing I know I am painting toads and flags every were!!

I then learned there were loads of people that love toads and frogs and got quite a few requests to do more designs hence the “Toad’ly” pattern series was born.  Please see them all at my Etsy store.

So to all the “Toad’ly Americans” have a safe and happy holiday!!
Enjoy!!