HELP THE DENVER KITTIES

~DONATE TO WIN~

Would you like a chance to win a folk art doll from Wonders of Whimsy and help save some kittens lives at the same time? Here is your chance. She is offering these two hand made items up for a raffle. It will cost $1 per chance to win. GO TO allycat-rescue.blogspot.com for more details.

Drawing will take place January 31st, 2009

Please help my friend Jenny, (Angel of the Denver Alley Cats-I call her) to raise money to save the stray kitties in her neighborhood. You may even win one of her beautiful hand crafted dolls!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Here are a couple of Pics from my family Christmas party last night! The first one has my daughters (the two with the longer blonde hair) and three of my nieces showing off their new hats from Grandma.

The second pic is of my sisters, Susan, Kerry, and Jennifer watching my mom look at a new bird identification book. It was really neat because every bird had a number to push on the side and then it plays that bird's song.

The star cupcakes are a tradition in my family. My mom always makes them and lights a candle for all the kids to sing happy birthday to Jesus!

The fourth picture is of my dear parents opening Mizzou University Tiger themed gifts from my daughter, Tara.

The last picture is our poor kitty, Snickers, wondering when the heck all the noisy people were going to go home! My little home was bursting at the seams with family, but it was so much fun and we all had a great time. I am a bit worn out today, to say the least. It is time to get back to "regular life" now.

I thought I would post a different picture for a change. This little tree is in my parlor. I am busy today getting ready to have my family over for our Christmas tonight. I have lots of food to prepare! My dad is making his yummy sliced cold mustard pork loin with capers. It is delicious. I am making lots of other things including marinated jumbo shrimp..mmmm. I try to have mostly non-dairy items because my little nephew, Anthony (Nino)--(Jennifer of Hot Tamale Art Studio's baby) is severely allergic to all dairy. The chocolates will be whisked out of my candy dishes and replaced with candy canes and marshmallow stars--things that are safe for him! Have a wonderful day. I will try to remember to take pictures of the fam tonight!

Historic St. Charles, Missouri

Well here are the same kids from the last post, in the same order, but about 12 years later! We had a wonderful time over the weekend in historic Old Town St. Charles, Missouri. You can't tell from this photo, but the streets and shops were all aglow with twinkling lights. There were carolers, and historical Christmas figures in costume, like the characters from Charles Dickens. There were people roasting and selling chestnuts on the street corners. We shopped for little trinkets and antiques and then went out to dinner. It was so much fun. We have been enjoying the warmth of the fire at home, listening to Christmas music, and baking and eating cookies! I am happy to say that all my shopping is finally done and we are relaxing as we wait for Santa! After Christmas the hustle and bustle will return because I am hosting my family's Christmas on Saturday. There will be 22 of us (my parents, sisters and their families) exchanging gifts. I am still working on the menu which will be finger foods since I can't seat us all at once. I'm sure the wine will be flowing and a good time will be had by all!

I just came across this old photo on my computer. I'm guessing it is from about 12 years ago, but it is one of my favorite Christmas pictures. Life was really crazy when my kids were at those ages! But fun! I hope all my artist friends are enjoying a bit of a break, like I am! We had snow (ice) days off of school today and yesterday. I have been making the most of it, baking and wrapping like a mad woman with Laura's help--(her community college is out already)! Jordan is busy studying for finals. Two more days until my oldest comes home from college! Yippee! She won't let me watch all those sappy Christmas movies until we can all watch them together. We always watch, Miracle on 34th Street, Meet Me In St. Louis (The kids laugh while I cry when Judy Garland sings have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas), It's a Wonderful Life ( another tear jerker for poor old menopausal Mom), White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Christmas Story, A Child's Christmas In Wales (this one is little known but WONDERFUL!) Now we will have lots of cookies to munch on while we watch them!!

Snow Bunnies

This painting, Snow Bunnies, will only be listed for three days. I am doing this short auction in case someone wants to purchase it for a Christmas gift! That way they can get it in time for gifting. This may be my last offering before the holidays, unless I relist a couple that didn't sell. I am going to take a little painting break so I can get some other things done---like wrapping, baking, shopping, and spending time with my family watching all those sappy Christmas movies! ha ha I also have two parties to go to this weekend. yaaay! I will be in touch though! Have a great weekend!

~Spreader of Love Award~

~Spreader of Love Award~

Wow, this very special Spreader of Love Award was given to me by the very talented and sweet Jenny of Wonders of Whimsy! Thank you so much. It has taken me a while to post because my dear son has had full reign of the computer this week due to lots of "end of the semester" projects.

Anyway, here are the rules.

1. Post a Copy on your Blog.
2. Mention who gave you the award.
3. Pass the award on to 6 others.
4. Leave a message on their blog letting them know the award has been
bestowed upon them.

There are so many spreaders of love out there in Blogland! The following ladies are always offering support to other artists in our world~~~Love and hugs to them today;

Tracy at Vintage Sister
Leticia at Regalo
Gina at Cat Nap Inn Primitives
Jennifer at Crooked Needle Primitives
Amy at Heart of a Seed
Shay at Old Country Peddlar

If you are too busy to pass it on, I understand! Just know that you are all loved and have a wonderful weekend!

Hello Everyone! I finally received the extra deep canvases I have been waiting to paint on this week. They are 1 1/2" deep and look so chunky and neat. Another thing I like about them is that even though I put a sawtooth hanger on the back, these paintings are deep enough to stand upright by themselves.

As you can see, I painted a sleepy kitty surprised to wake and find a Christmas elf snuggled up beside him. The other elf is equally surprised and very worried indeed! The next one is a beautiful angel holding a kitty friend. I experimented with some texture things on this one. It has an interesting puddled finish and the colors are vibrant! The third one is "Snow Day". Were there any words that brought more joy when you were a school aged child? This one has a crackle finish with lots of sparkle rubbed in!

I have another busy weekend ahead. Tomorrow morning I will be volunteering for Santa's Breakfast at the preschool where I work. After that, I hope to get some Christmas shopping knocked out and go out to eat tomorrow night. Yaay! We hardly ever do that. Hopefully, Sunday I will catch up on housework and maybe do another painting. Have an wonderful weekend!

Colorful Christmas

Although I love snow, Christmas isn't all about snow, especially in other parts of the world! I couldn't resist painting this bright and colorful Christmas Frida picture. This is a 4"X5"X.75" stretched canvas and the cheerful poinsettias continue around the sides of the painting. I listed it on Ebay yesterday if you would like to check it out. I would love to see a place where poinsettias grow naturally! I bet that is beautiful.

DECK THE HALLS

This has been a busy week! We "decked our halls", shopped, spent time with family and made things. My family is all a bit sad that this long weekend has come to an end. Back to the old grind. Tara will be heading back to University of Missouri this week and not be back till Christmas. Boo Hoo We miss each other so much when she is away. Yesterday I helped her make her purse out of the wool she purchased. Well...it was mostly me saying, "oh give it here, I'll do it!" My sewing machine is old and very temperamental and it seems to only work right for me. ugh! Laura was sewing something for her boyfriend's Christmas gift too. (poor Zack! ha ha) I didn't get to work much on my own projects. Anyway, we had fun together.

Here are some pictures of my house all decked for the holidays. Just the sun room, dining room and parlor. That's where the trees are. I just noticed that I forgot to put my tree skirt on the sun room tree--ooops! As you can see I am fond of antiques. Have a wonderful week everyone!

In our family, the day after Thanksgiving is just as much fun as Thanksgiving! My Mom, sisters, daughters and older nieces all go to the same quaint little town to visit antique and craft shops. We have coffee and goodies to eat in the shops and we all have lunch together. In the first picture is one of my nieces, Kelsey, and one of my daughters, Tara, holding up some of the wool they purchased with plans of making purses and scarves. In the other picture is my sister, Jennifer (Hot Tamale Art Studio) and I dividing up a bag of really cool little felted wool balls we bought. They were so colorful, we couldn't resist! We thought of a couple ideas for them. That new shop had all kinds of wool fabrics, felted wool items, and rug hooking stuff. Jennifer and I kept saying, "oh, this store is so "Jenny Carter"! lol~We all had a fun time!

I have two pictures to share! First of all, I was so excited to receive my package from Jennifer of Crooked Needle Primitives today. I won her blog give-away drawing and got this beautiful primitive kitty doll. She is so pretty with her festive polka dot dress and hat. I was decorating for Christmas when she arrived and I promptly displayed her on a little chair. Doesn't she look sweet there? Thank you so much, Jennifer! I love it!

The other picture is my newest painting. Of course this is what my gray tabby, Snickers, was doing today! He loves the sniffing around all the boxes from the shed and playing with the ornaments. Don't all kitties? I will be listing this on Ebay soon. Well, back to my decorating. My daughters' boyfriends are here tonight helping as well. The house is full of laughter right now, gotta go!

ANGEL OF 4

Can you tell that I like painting kitties? Here is an 8"X10" stretched canvas I worked on today. The little angel is trying hard to give attention to each of the little kitties, but they are getting a bit impatient! The calico is playing with the angel's long hair and the gray tiger and doing that rub and purr thing they do! This one could be used for a Christmas decoration or left out all year if you like angels! There is some sparkle on the angel's gown and pearl and metallic on her wings and halo.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Ours was busy, but nice. I only have 2 days of school this week, so I am looking forward to the break! Lots of family time, eating, sleeping and decorating. Jordan will be marching and playing his drum in the St. Louis Thanksgiving Day Parade so we may glimpse him on TV.

COZY COUCH

I thought of this painting as I was vegging on the couch after work one day. Is there anything cozier than a kitty lounging on you on a cold winter evening? This little girl in her footie pajamas is kind of stuck here, but she doesn't seem to mind.

This has been a busy weekend. I went to my niece's 17th birthday party last night and tonight I am going to my nephew's 16th birthday party. Tara is home too, so I haven't been painting much. We are getting ready to decorate the downstairs family room for Christmas. We do the main floor next weekend. It takes a couple of weekends to get it all done. We decorate 4 trees here. Perhaps I will share some pictures in a couple of weeks! Have a great weekend, friends!

BLOG AWARD

Blog Award

I received a nice award from my dear friend, Jenny of Wonders of Whimsy. Marie Antionette was quite a lady and so are these!


I am passing this to the following ladies:

Jennifer of Crooked Needle Primitives
Tracy of The Vintage Sister Studio
Amy of Heart of a Seed
Azul Valentina
Gina of Cat Nap Inn Primitives
Leticia Regalo
Traci Marvel

Rules to Play:

1. Please put the Marie Antoinette picture on your blog.2. Place a link to the person from whom you received the award.3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs.4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog.5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them.

I dreamed about this idea the other night, so as soon as I got up I had to paint it. There is something kind of peaceful about it, if that makes sense. I'm sure we all pray for the safe return of our military personnel and think of them often, especially during the holiday season.

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I guess we are all ready for the holiday "crunch" with our calendars overflowing with school and church concerts, banquets, and fund raisers, and family and work functions as well! The hustle and bustle is upon us, so brace yourself--and try to take time to appreciate the simple things, like family, friends and simple togetherness.

A Winter Memory

I have been working on this painting for a while and it evokes such nostalgic memories for me. When I was growing up there was a pond down the hill from where we lived and I remember ice skating on it in the winter. I can still feel my heart drop when cracking sounds could be heard as the ice shifted under your feet! It was kind of scary, but worth the feeling of soaring across the ice (in actuality, I was probably scuffling along, ha ha). We only had a couple of pair of skates between us, so we had to take turns. When the moon was fully upon us we would make the dreaded trudge up the hill toward home. Our fingers and toes were numb from the cold and we were anxious for the hot cocoa Mom surely had awaiting us!

This is a medium sized, primitive landscape, 12" X 12". It has lots of detail and shading for a melancholy feel. There is some subtle glittering where the moon hits the snow and ice. I really like how this one turned out, but I will be listing it on eBay soon. I think it would make a fun Christmas gift for someone.

Here are some sweet little "minis" I have been working on. They are 4"X4" original canvas paintings. My husband drilled holes in them so I could weave some festive ribbon through them! They would make special one of a kind gifts. Their small size makes them easy to find a place to hang, even on the tree! They would also make neat "package tie ons". This is an affordable way to give the gift of art, (even to yourself). I will be listing them on Ebay soon. Remember I am offering free shipping on my artwork through December. Have a wonderful rest of the week everyone!

There is nothing more shocking than going outside to find your best snowman melted! Even the kitty looks a little disappointed! I just listed this cutie on Ebay.

I hope everyone is starting out the week well. I am back at school (work) after being sick a couple days last week. We have two more new boys in our class now! One of them is autistic and they are both cuties. Such interesting little characters all of my students are. They certainly keep me hopping-- and laughing--they say the funniest things! Last week, one of the kiddos had his dad come in and the kid pointed to his dad and said to me, "I'd like you to meet my friend....Dad!" It was so cute.

Well here is the painting I have been working so hard on. If you have cats, well...you know all about "Tree Action"! This is a very primitive painting with lots of antiquing. I just listed it on Ebay. I have a cute little snowman and kitty flying painting too.

I am going to try listing my paintings with free shipping from now until Christmas and see how that works out. Hopefully it will generate a little more interest. Lots of online stores offer free shipping at Christmas, so I am getting into the holiday spirit too!

It is quite nippy here in Missouri today, but I like it. We have a cozy fire in the wood stove and I am busy sketching more painting ideas. Tonight I am going Christmas shopping, yes I said Christmas shopping-- at Kohls because I got one of those 30% off everything stickers in my mailer--Yippeee! That's on top of their sales--yay! Jordan will probably go with me, he is my little shopping buddy. Have a great weekend!

Tagging Some New Friends

Tagged

I have been tagged by the very talented Leticia and here are the official rules…Link to the person who tagged you. Mention the rules. Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself. Tag six other bloggers by linking to them. Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they have been tagged.
Here you go:

1. I have some weird organization quirks; I pick out all my outfits for the work week and iron them and hang them on Sunday night and when I make my grocery list, it is a big production because I use the sale ads, my coupons and coordinate my menu for the whole week. It's no wonder two of my three children have been diagnosed with OCD.

2. I am the oldest of four sisters.

3. I am afraid of heights, especially when Jordan is involved, probably because he has had many broken bones.

4. My mom is an identical twin and I used to not be able to tell them apart and it freaked me out as a child.

5. I love to go all out when I entertain, my family used to call me "Martha".

6. My three sisters and I are very close and never tire of one another--weird, I know!

I tried to tag people that I have not seen tagged in awhile, but if you are too busy don't worry about. :)

The lovely and very talented Di from Duda Daze , Amy from Heart of A Seed , Lisa from llCreations, The Vintage Sister ,Shay from Olde Country Peddler
So tag!!! You're it!

Oh, and thank you everyone for your well wishes! I am starting to feel better now that I got some new medicine, just worn out. I am working on a really cute 12" X 12" painting of naughty kitties playing on a Christmas Tree. I had a couple of people ask for bigger pieces, so I am trying this size to see how it works out.

I painted this a couple of days ago, but I have trouble getting to photograph my stuff. Now that the time has changed it is pretty dark when I get home from work and I can't take pictures very well. This is a very primitive piece with lots of crackle and antiquing. It is listed on Ebay today.

I am home from work today because I still haven't fully re-cooperated from the hay ride I went on during a field trip last week. I am extremely allergic to hay, duh! Anyway, I have had a "headfull" and trouble with asthma ever since. I will be getting a new puffer from the Dr. today. Have a great day, friends.

One of my favorite Christmas stories as a child was The Little Match Girl. Although it was very sad when my mom told it, it made me so grateful for my nice warm bed. This painting is accented with pages from an antique book and given an antique finish. Look for it on Ebay tonight. (link at top of page). I am also working on a larger angel painting on wood with lots of crackle.

A while back Jenny from Wonders of Whimsy gave us a look at how she cleaned out her office and organized it for her doll making. I was inspired and finally got around to carving out a little niche for myself in my home. My "studio" is all of 3' X 4', but I usually take my sketching or painting outside or wherever my family is. At least I have my things organized, there are baskets beneath the table too. I hope everyone got out and voted. Have a nice evening.

Here is an Autumn view from Mommy's Midwest Mountain. The trees on the next hillside are beginning to show color. What a beautiful weekend it has been! Unfortunately I haven't been feeling well, so I haven't been very creative. Either I have some sort of bug or my allergies are getting the better of me.

I had my family over for Halloween and we had a great time! Lots of laughs, food and spooks. It is always loud and fun when we gather. What a mess the next day though! I still haven't had the energy to take down the decorations yet. Maybe tomorrow!

I hope to get back to my painting as well. Have a great week!

Ok, so I did it! I took the plunge into Christmas! Geez, Halloween isn't even here yet, I should be planning my menu for the party Friday night, but...oh well... These are cute little 4"x4" paintings with copper wire hangers. They make a perfect little "package tie on extra" or even a special tree ornament. I don't think I will wax these because I'm afraid that when people pack them away in the attic with the Christmas decor, they may melt! I will try to list them on Ebay (link above) tonight.

I had a nice weekend. My daughter, Tara came home and we visited my parents Friday night, and I made a nice steak dinner last night, then we all vegged out in front of the TV. Today we carved several pumpkins together. It was a nice weekend of togetherness except for poor Jordan who had a football game to play at Friday night, a band competition all day Saturday and a parade to drum in today. Laura has been busy working on some Andy Warhol type paintings for one of her art classes. It looks like something you would do on a computer, but it is all done by hand. Have a nice week everyone--and don't let the spooks get you on Halloween!!

I just had to share this funny picture of my cat. We put up some of our outdoor Halloween decoration this weekend, and when poor Snickers noticed the ghosts out the window, he sat staring at them and twitching his tail in fear all morning! He is such a "fraidy cat"!




I only had time to paint one painting this weekend. I love how these two little Thanksgiving friends turned out. You can check it out on the Ebay link at the top of the page. I will post it sometime this evening. Have a great week everyone!

~Tag UR it~

~Tag UR it~

I got tagged by my friend, Jenny of Wonders of Whimsy
So, the rules are:
Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay, so here's my 7 "about me" facts:


I am the the oldest of 4 children.

I found out I was expecting a baby two weeks before I planned to travel to
Peru to adopt one. Doctors never thought it would happen, then I had two more!

I LOVE history, the everyday living stuff. Colonial Williamsburg was awesome!

I was voted "most talented in art" in my graduating class, but went into advertising sales.

My favorite "snack" is fresh mozzarella with tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt, fresh baked bread and a good red wine to "wash it down".

I'm sorry to say that I was a "wild child" and I thought I would pay for it when I had my own kids, but they are truly all "straight-laced", great kids for which I feel so blessed--sorry Mom!
(those darn 70's)

I work with special needs 3 to 5 year olds, and they make me smile all day long.

Tag, you're it:
Jennifer of Hot Tamale Art Studio
Janet (Mom) of My Blue Heaven
Tara of Tara Sue
Susan of Susan Sews a Lot

I don't have very many blogger friends...

I had a crazy, busy weekend with no time to paint till Sunday night! But here are my latest creations. I am going to do a few Thanksgiving ones before thinking of Christmas. I hope you like them. They have cinnamon encased in the wax for a subtle scent mingled with the bee's wax. The turkey has 4 tiny, perfect sage leaves under the wax. Both paintings have lots of texture and charm! Check them out on my Ebay-(link at top of page). Have a great week.

CINNAMON PAINTING

Here is my latest painting, "Give Thanks". I just wanted to share with you something new that I am experimenting with. I thought of it when I was getting ready to make an apple pie with cinnamon rolled into the pie crust! I forgot about the pie and did this instead! ha ha I sprinkled some cinnamon on the sides of this painting before I melted the wax on. Now it has a subtle cinnamon scent mingled with the bee's wax. I like the antique look it has too. You can find this painting on my Ebay listings. I may try it on some other Autumn paintings. Have a great week~

What a beautiful day today! My husband picked this colorful bouquet of zinnias from the garden last week and they still look pretty.

Here is a painting that I finished today. I saw a perfect spider web on my porch the other morning with dew drops glistening in the early sun and it made me want to paint one. I was lucky enough to be home most of the day today so I got lots of housework done and more of my Halloween decorations up, so all is right with my world. Jordan is practicing Mozart on the piano as I type and I love hearing him play. But I better get started on dinner because he will be wanting me to take him to meet up with his friends soon. It will be nice when he gets his license, but then again I will miss our car rides together as a chance to catch up with him. When he is trapped in the car with me he is forced to talk to me, ha ha, I'm just kidding, we are quite close--he is a very good kid!

What a gorgeous weekend! It has been very busy though, so I haven't fit too much painting in. We went to a wedding at a local winery yesterday and it was wonderful. Here is a photo of my kids, Jordan 16, Tara 20, and Laura 19 standing on the picturesque grounds. There was a guest from California there who said it reminded her of Napa Valley. The ceremony was short, sweet, and heartfelt. Of course there were lots of beautiful wines flowing! A good time was had by all!

I tried something a little different this week with my painting. It is two wooden plaques connected with copper wire and has a copper wire hanger. The bottom painting is of a Halloween Princess Kitty at the ball with Mr. Pumpkin. The smaller painting above is a portrait of the Halloween Princess Kitty complete with fangs. I really like how it turned out. Check out the details on Ebay.

What a beautiful Fall weekend! The fish in my pond were so active today that I had to photograph them. I was taking pictures of my new paintings and they were practically jumping out of the water at me!

Here are my two latest paintings. I am still having fun with Halloween themes, but couldn't resist a Thanksgiving idea. I know it's a little early! Have a great week everyone!