What I recently added to my Etsy shop

Handmade one of kind Santa Face's

Everyone's sure to love these guys. They are created on a 10x10 gallery wrap canvas upon each individual order assuring no two are alike. 

Visit my Etsy shop today to see this new item listed. Order your's in time for the holidays!

What I recently made

September is a busy birthday month for my family and friends.

My mother n laws is just a few days ahead of mine, which were both last week. 

The kids tell me so often how much she loves frogs. 

So I got to creating! 

Meet, Give a Ribbit!

When I was in junior high, high school and college, I collected frogs myself. I'd even spend hours on my front porch taking as many pictures possible aiming for just the perfect one. This was back in the film days. So needless to say I ended up with a lot of unwanted pictures. Which then makes me think back to when people first were going digital. I was photographing weddings at the time enjoying my film camera. For a solid year, I fought myself in the mind set on there's no reason to go digital I am fine. Although, there's a few things I miss about the film world digital out weighs it by a long, long shot! 

 

My love of frogs gave me the inspiration to create this guy. Isn't this little guy the cutest little thing you've every seen. My oldest daughter tried to take it from me when I finished creating him. Starting out with a 10x10 gallery wrap, which is my most favorite size to work on and gallery wrap is my most favorite type of canvas to create on, I pasted scrape pages as the background. Once dry, I smeared a few hints of light green paint on the edges. Bubble wrap was used to make a touch of white spots. This was carried on over to the edges of the canvas where I worked some dark brown in as well. I always tried to create a paint pattern on the edges of the canvas that will coordinate with the background. As I type this, I realize the side of the canvas was not captured, maybe next time!

On to creating the frog himself, I pulled some pillow stuff I hand on hand out. Several years ago, I made window seat cushions and have a few bags of stuffing left over. It's one of many things I've kept in my supple closet making for lots of great creations. Forming what looked like a frog to me after glancing over a clipart of a frog, I glued the painted green stuffing to the canvas. Making his eyes, mouth, dots, front feet, back legs and stomach piece everything came together so nicely. I was truly happy with his out come. 

Hope he brings a JOYFUL ribbit to his new home!

Do you collect frogs?

Do you miss film photography?

Christmas in July

Baby it's cold outside, not hardly! 

In good ole Mississippi we've been ranking 

in 85-100° weather. Like today is 85° only because 

it's cloudy. Yesterday was 88° with humidity at 90%.

I am bringing you a goodie for some 

Summer cheer what a treat for this time of year, 

right, Christmas in July. 

Above you will see I have my matte Mod Podge out along with my 

folk art vintage white acrylic paint. I covered a 

10x10 gallery wrap canvas with paper scrapes 

using the Mod Podge coming in behind 

with the vintage white paint. I smeared it all along 

the edges of the canvas touching the edges 

of the papers as well as lightly brushing

over the papers themselves. 

I used a piece of burlap painted a goldish brown color 

for the trunk of the tree created. Using book pages 

I rolled them and Mod Podge them in what looked to be 

the perfect place to start the base of the tree. 

Using an old piece of cardboard I penciled a 

star shape on the back and cut it out with scissors 

from my art table. Mod Podge was then placed 

on the back while I positioned it with the 

ridges of the cardboard facing foreword. 

This can be seen in picture below.

Once the Mod Podge dried I knew ornaments would be place
throughout the tree. During the drying process, 

I gathered the papers I'd use to cut 

small circles to use as the ornaments.

When I picked the paper I went 

with my best judgement of how I wanted the tree to feel and look, not 

every ones will look like mine, nor the persons next to you. I believe

this is very critical to remember when creating anything whether it 

be a meal, a wreath, a living room setting, an outfit etc. Be confident

in your work, your art regards what your working on. It's taking 

me years to come to those terms, but mine doesn't look like 

theirs. It's not intended to. It's what makes it yours. 

And that's very special…

After Mod Podging the ornaments in place, 

 see them above, I used bubble wrap. 

I love me some bubble wrap. 

Maybe I should bubble wrap a room… 

I used Americans cherry red on the edges 

of the canvas. 

I even smeared some on the front edges, see further below, 

with my finger where I continued using a blue and 

a dark brown going for a vintage look. 

I worked on this process 

until the picture felt complete. The more you create the more you 

will learn what that feeling feels like. I've even passed that feeling

before while creating and had to wait awhile longer until I reached

another moment in my creating process 

for it to feel complete 

once again. 

I used a black sharpie or black paint pen, can't remember,
both will work great, to write "have yourself a Merry little 

Christmas this year". That's something else I love about the 

creative process start with the supplies you have 

on hand before you plunge into spending

tons of money. 

Green paint and marker was added to the book pages, tree,

as well as the start was paint with hints of bright yellow.

I used this as a teacher gift for my 

daughters teacher one year. The plate stand was purchased 

from Hobby Lobby.

I love this look.