Painting for Fall or is it Autumn!?!

 We haven't really even started summer and I am painting for fall or is it autumn?

 I love the colors of fall/autumn and Halloween.

 I am trying to decide if I should use these items and make a raffia swag.  Hang a crow, a scarecrow man and a colorful leaf on a braided piece of raffia.......decisions.

 Still painting for Summer.  Love these colorful flowers with a Welcome painted on it.  Finally have them listed in my Etsy shop. 

I hope you have had a successful week and are ready for the unofficial start of summer this weekend!

Enjoy,

Barb

I have been painting!!

 

 YEA, I have been painting!  

So many ideas and so easily side tracked.

 I need to finish at least a couple of projects!

 

I did get these two done and even listed on Etsy.

Can you believe I am ahead of the next holiday!! 

Just need to finish the frame on this one!

I am not sure how to finish this garland, add just wire or beads or material?

This is were I get stuck sometimes---how to finish!

I know most of you on the east coast are really looking forward to SPRING, so this photo is for you!

We are to hit the 50's this weekend...really?  

We need the snow, not necessarily the cold.

So I will be wishing for snow for us here in the west and for spring for you all in the east!

Enjoy your day,

Barb

Fall Into Thanksgiving with the Old Farmhouse Gathering Team

  

The Old Farmhouse Gathering Etsy Team is Celebrating!!

Fall Into Thanksgiving!!

These were the creations I came up with so I was able to get somethings done!  YEA!!

Type FITOFG in to the search bar on Etsy for more wonderful creations from the OFG Team.

Or you can click on the graphic above to take you to the page for all the fun!!

Enjoy,

Barb

I am feeling a little.....

Snarly!!   I am not sure how time can pass so quickly but the end of summer is almost here (YEA, I mean boo?!!?). 

Working on the house, yard and doing the canning there has not been a whole lot of time for fun. 

I am not sure what I was thinking when I decided to take my kids to Thanksgiving Point and go to the Museum of Ancient Life.  It was $2.00 day and when we got in the line that circle the building my son said, "Well, it looks like the pre-schools and elementary schools threw up."

But we forged ahead and had a fun time.  It was interesting and interactive.  I think I learned allot too.

Of course who would not love a Utahraptor? 

This was what I was looking like when we finally left...Snidey! 

So off we went to get a $2.00 piece of cheesecake, $2.00 kids hamburger, 50 cent ice cream cone, and then 1/2 pound of fudge for $2.00.

It was a SUGAR high!!

We have canned 10 bottles of tomatoes from our garden, frozen 21 bags of corn from my folks patch, made 12 loaves of zucchini and pear bread, 6 bottles of plumb jam from my bothers garden and then went to my parent's home and striped the pear tree.  Will probably be canning pears next week.

My attempt at painting during some of this. 

Embarrassing and in need of "therapy"! 

Hope I get some of this done for the Old Farmhouse Gatherings Fall into Thanksgiving Celebration starting tomorrow!!

It will be a miracle since it is picture day today at the High School and my son thinks it will be a great day to get a Big Mac at McDonald's--buy one get on for a penny.  Yippee.

Betty and her babies have flown the nest but we see them hanging around the humming bird feeder.

I had to climb the ladder the other day and they were gone.  All is well on the bird front!

I know I will need a nap today.

Enjoy your day!!

Barb

Update on Betty, Painting, and Winnings!

I was so curious about "Betty the Humming Pigeon" that I had to climb the ladder and see if the babies were still there and their condition.  Yes, there they were with little hearts a beating.  The two little black becks angled upward.  Then I figured there is not enough room in there for Betty so a few branches up there she was watching me.

I decided she need a feeder closer to her and the babies so off we went to get a humming bird feeder.

We hung it on the other side of the tree where we could watch it from the kitchen window.  Betty found it pretty fast!

Now I have a happy son (who was near devastation that the birds were dead)! 

Thank heavens for a custom order.  I then had the legitimate excuse to hide from the work outside to paint!!  YEA got it done.  Now have one more and trust me I will be using that as an excuse not to have to help sheet rock and plaster the front room!! 

I was the Lucky winner of these fabulous candy corns from Brenda at The Rusty Thimble as part of her huge July celebration.  They are wonderfully made and just fabulous.  Took a quick photo and now they are proudly displayed on my counter top upstairs.  I couldn't take a photo there for all the clutter that needs to be cleaned up!

Thank you Brenda! 

Head to her blog HERE to see what she has as her monthly giveaway!

Good luck on her new giveaway!

Enjoy your day,

Barb

Check List!!!

The other day I wrote down everything that needed to be done with in the next two week and then had to sit down and compose myself. 

Have you ever had those moments?

How am I suppose to get this all done?

Curse the Check List!?!

We were able to check off most of the remodel and renovation of the outside of the house.

We laid the bricks at the window sills but we need to take it off again because we are not brick masons and it shows. 

My grandfather was a carpenter so I was out there telling my husband "how to do it" because I was a kid and use to help (hinder) my grandpa with brick laying.  We decide to "sleep" on it and the next morning made the big decision to take them off.  I think my dad will have to get involved with this one.  Actually I don't think it looked to bad from a great distance but knowing that both my husband and I are perfectionists we knew we would not be able to live with it.

Now a job back on the check list.

Then the registration for my daughter to High School and my son to Middle School--all on line now!

Yes, there were (what my daughter calls) "choice USDA words" involved.

Did I mention Merit Badges yet? Swimming, Environmental Science, Wood carving, Bird Study, Space Exploration....some done, others we are working on.

Teenage driver.  She is doing very well.  Still happy I am already white haired. 

The good news...I received a custom order and had the excuse to paint!!!  Got this far and was interrupted. Hope to finish it soon!!

Betty, our humming pigeon (as my son is calling her) has flown the nest.  I don't think the babies survived.  I did climb up on the tramp and it looked like the babies had hatched but I couldn't tell if they were alive because the branch was still a bit to high.

Then my neighbor came out and looked a bit stunned that I was tip toeing on the tramp pulling on the tree branch...it was not pretty getting down to go make small talk.

Well with that vision in your head I will try to squeeze in some painting.  Please do not have nightmares on my behalf!

Enjoy,

Barb

Meet a Multi-Talented Artist!

Meet a very multi-talented Artist Donna of Countryside Cottage.  She has her hands into everything and it all looks so great!  She can do it with paint, fabric, floral...everything!!  Her talent amazes me.  so meet Donna!

1) Your first name and name of your business and how you got your business name?

Hi! I am Donna and Owner of Countryside Cottage. We live on a dead end road in the country, and out any window you see the countryside and I dream of having a little cottage out here to be my studio some day. So thus the name Countryside Cottage, it seemed to work!

2)How long have you been in business?

I have been in the craft business for 18 years. Been on Etsy since August 2010. Really got more serious with painting, the last couple years.

3)Who or what inspires you?

I'm inspired by the outdoors, other artist, books, craft magazines and spending way to much time in

Jo-Anns and Michaels.

4)What is your creative style, primitive, country, folk art?

My style I would have to say all the above, but as I evolve more as an artist myself, I am turning more to the primitive and folk art styles. I love the time worn look of the primitive style

5)What medium do you use in creating, clay, fabric, altered art, wood etc.?

I have used a variety of mediums such as fabric, acrylic paints, upcycled items.

6)What are your links?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CtrysideCottage

http://countrysidecottage-donna.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/ctrysidecottage

http://www.facebook.com/ctrysidecottage

 

Please visit Donna and find out for yourself how endless her talent is!

Enjoy,

Barb

I will be living with Guppies!

I have spent the last week going to school registration and orientation for my daughter that will be entering High School and my son that will be entering Middle school.

One night at dinner they were talking about how both of them would be guppies in the big ponds at their new schools come the next school year.

I know my way around the Middle school but the High school is HUGE. If I remember right it is the biggest high school in the state.  (Needless to say I am so glad I will not be the guppy this next year!)  

I had to share my daughter's project from her ceramics class.  This is in honor of her brother and dad who Curl every Thursday and Friday night.  Next week here in Utah they will be celebrating the 10th year anniversary of the Olympics being here and have asked my son and husband to represent Curling next Friday night at the Olympic Oval.  We are a bit excited!  This was quite a surprise and honor! 

My son is into painting so the other day when I did some errands I left him to his own devises.

I was pleased to see what he had come up with-of course military related-and he cleaned up his mess complete with cleaning the brushes.  Proud Mom. 

This was my daughters final piece in Ceramics and I love it.  She surprises me.  She was just little when we would go to New Mexico to check on our house there and/or visit cousins.

I think she really captured the beauty of the desert Southwest!

Hope every one has an enjoyable day!

Barb

Meet Bob and Vicky's Art Giveaway!!

This post will be a bit scary at first but will have a happy ending:

First Scary:  Meet Bob!

I went to Parents day at my daughter's school and was "lucky" enough to go to her ceramics class.

The teacher let us parents play with clay!?!

So Bob was born, hatched, found under the patch-not quite sure.  We had 35 minutes to come up with something and never having worked with clay this was my creation. 

My daughter did the painting and the finishing so I think it looks pretty good after I left Bob to her care.

Still a bit scary so I think I will stick to painting!!

Now Happy ending: 

Vicky at Vicky's Art is having another fabulous give away.  The one thing about Vicky's Giveaways is that there are so many fun options to choose from.

My choice was this fun Valentine's day stacker.

I encourage every one to head over to Vicky's Art and pick your favorite.  This will end on January 25th and the way time is flying by that will be too soon!!

Enjoy,

Barb