Everything Old Is New Again

Both of these 6x6 inch mini canvases were recently reburbished, for want of a better word!

They were 1st created in 2010 but I always felt that something was missing on both of them so this past month I decided to add a few extras here + there and am happier with them the way they are now :)

Thanks for visiting :o)

Less is More 134

The challenge this week at Less is More is a recipe to use or make WASHI TAPE.

I used some whimsical styles I found last week at our local Dollar Store since I needed some cards on hand for children.  

Some of my favourite punches and small dies were put to work as well.

Thanks for visiting!

Wordless Wednesday

Crocus 8X12 photo by DMpics of Latvia

What signs of spring are popping up where YOU live?

The clocks may have sprung forward just a couple of days ago, but in my neck of the woods we could still get a snowstorm anytime so it's definitely not spring yet :o)

Watercoloured Butterfly Ensemble

After creating oodles of 8X10 butterfly pieces that are 3D, a couple of customers' requests meant that it was about time that I brought together some of my watercolour backgrounds with butterflies in an 11X14 inch size and this is the 1st one.

Because the watercoloured background paper was not as large as I would have painted had I planned on creating this, I've called this Ensemble.  My hope is to create the next one with lots more butterflies and another down the road that's a myriad of miniature butterflies.

What are YOU making??

Happy Thoughts

Happy Thoughts to everyone as we spring forward --

~ you know what that means, don't you!?

Spring is just around the corner!

Upcycled Aurora Borealis 3D Butterfly Art

My husband had an old calendar from last year and rather than tossing things like that out, I cut up some of the glossy, colourful pages and created an 8X10 butterfly collage in shades of rose, purple, mauve and deep pink.

With another couple of pages, I put together another in shades of aquamarine and blue-greens.

What do you do with your old calendars??

I'm delighted to have been invited to participate in a unique online Christmas Fair hosted by encaustic artist Hazel Rayfield of Southend on Sea on the SE coast of England.

Why not check out the various arts and crafts shops listed and buy handmade for your loved ones this Christmas?!

Rhapsody in Blue

Ever since a customer purchased 7 of my small paintings earlier this month, I've been experimenting more with this new encaustic medium that I discovered shortly before Christmas.

So far, I'm melting the wax blocks [which are composed of beeswax + damar resin] against a special iron -- then using that iron as my paintbrush ---- I love the whole process!!

Encaustic Paintings

This is one of the most amazing ENCAUSTIC paintings I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying -

Visit FINE ART AMERICA to see more - Encaustic Paintings

My 1st Triptych

I've been quite busy lately with custom orders in my Etsy shop but recently had time to attempt something new!

Voila! My very 1st TRIPTYCH featuring Amy Butler double-sided paper in various sizes of butterflies with the largest being about 2 inches and the smallest about 1 inch -- this same triptych can be hung in 2 ways, giving very different effects --

HORIZONTALLY ~ 10" high X 24" wide / side to side --

VERTICALLY ~ 24" high X 10" wide / top to bottom

Although this particular one has been created using fuschia, green and blue, I also custom create them to suit a customer's colour choices and/or decor in all sorts of materials ... be it patterned designer paper, card stock or upcycled materials ~ the imagination is the only limit :)

Happy Weekend ahead!!

PS -- I'm delighted to report that this triptych has been SOLD :)

It's Been a LONG Time

It's been such a long time since I've taken the time to post anything here!!

In mid-March my husband had open heart surgery to replace a defective valve .... his shortness of breath came on suddenly just after Christmas and we had absolutely NO idea that it was because of something this serious!

I'm thankful and happy to report that he is back to normal and ready to return to work next week :)

In the midst of his recovery, I've managed to keep up with my custom orders via Etsy and special gift creations for family and friends for various special occasions so this weekend I took the time to work on a couple of small canvases and will share 1 of them today --

I am called upon to create all sorts of special collages using upcycled vintage childrens books and had a few pages hanging around my craft table so used all of them to create this 8X10 canvas. Included are:

• Richard Scarry
• Enid Blyton [Noddy]
• Classic Winnie the Pooh
• Mercer Mayer

I need to at least attempt to keep this blog more up-to-date in the future :)

February Finds

February is my birthday month and amethyst is its colour ~ a rich, vibrant colour!  Below are some beautiful creations discovered while browsing Etsy --

from EmmaBeloved in Manchester, England

by OnlyVerySmall in Austin, Texas

from BummyBaby in Calgary, Alberta

from RoseCitySoap in Oregon

Upcycling Bits and Pieces

I always have lots of bits and pieces of paper ~ card stock, double-sided designer papers ~ left over after I've completed various projects and these 5X7s are a great way to use them up!

Hiving Out: Thursday, Richard Scarry, and Etsy

Delighted to have my upcycled Richard Scarry baby elephants included in today's post at HIVING OUT  entitled THURSDAY, RICHARD SCARRY and ETSY!!

Consolation - An Encaustic Painting

CONSOLATION is the title I've given one of my latest encaustic paintings.  I had some simple prints made at a local shop and used them to pop into the fronts of ready-made cards also purchased locally and gave them to close family this Christmas.

My husband bought me a proper encaustic iron, beeswax and papers for Christmas so I'm excited to try my hand at it once again using the correct supplies rather than an old mini craft iron, Crayola crayon bits and glossy photo paper :)

Best wishes for the New Year to everyone!!

Little Drummer Boy from Canada

Perhaps you've already seen this YouTube video that was uploaded less than a week ago ~ if not, enjoy it here!  -- I'm not usually a fan of rock music but what 15 yr old Sean Quigley has done is great and truly inspiring, especially when you listen to him on one of the news programs and he explains his personal reasons for putting this all together!!

The song was arranged by him, he sang and played the drums, produced and directed the video and recorded - almost everything!!

Custom Canvas Order

I'm super busy over the next several days working on 2 custom canvases -- both measure 16" X 20" and are for a very special Christmas present for an American customer.

I will be able to post photos of the actual custom order AFTER Christmas so that the surprise is kept for the lucky recipient :)

Walnut Butterscotch Crispies

It's bright and sunny here but very cold outside ~ the perfect day to throw in a couple of loads of laundry, plan ahead what's for dinner, do some baking, make a phone call and begin a very special new CUSTOM 16X20 canvas project!!

This cookie recipe was a 1st try for me but they turned out to be SCRUMPTIOUS and a definite keeper - thought I'd share the recipe here :)

* WALNUT BUTTERSCOTCH CRISPIES

1 cup butter or margarine [I used marg]
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups white flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup butterscotch chips

• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda and ADD to the creamed mixture.
• Stir in walnuts and butterscotch chips blending thoroughly.
• Drop by the spoonful on a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 deg F [180 deg C] for about 10-15 minutes [varied each time for me - just check them]

ENJOY!!

*although the photo is not mine, they look EXACTLY like mine :)

2 Recent Wedding Cards

Made these plus a few others for a wedding this month.

I've Been Stalked in a Good Way

Being *stalked* by ETSY STALKER is a great thing ~ it gives lots of exposure and I really appreciate it :)