I hope that you’re enjoying this Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by family and friends, creating special memories.
I’m so very grateful for all of you who are following me on this creative journey! Thanks for your love and support, it means the world to me 💖💖
Wishing you a Very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
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Unique Art Gifts Make Memorable Holidays!
Start your Christmas Shopping early with an “Exclusive” Sale available Only to You!
Original Paintings and Christmas Ornaments on Sale!
Enter code MERRY25 at checkout and receive 25% Off your Total Purchase!!
Sale ends 12/6/2023
✨Visit my Etsy Shop now and take advantage of this Exclusive Offer✨
Important: Each work of art is an Original, completely Unique! Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. So don’t delay!!!
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More Original Artwork available in my Etsy Shop:
With Thanksgiving only a week away most of us will be indulging in all the delicious holiday delights. Sadly, our waistlines will be bulging as a result 😂 But have no fear, I have a few tips to help get you through the holidays. What you want to do is limit your calorie intake the week before Thanksgiving so when you go over on that one day, it’s not detrimental to your waistline and you won’t miss out on any of the delectable food. So here are the tips:
Planning is key to losing or maintaining your weight. After your grand Thanksgiving meal, go for a nice walk and enjoy the great outdoors. It will make you feel good and help burn some calories so you’ll have room for pie!
If you do put on a little weight, follow these tips for the week after to help bring you back down. Stressing over what to eat and not to eat doesn’t make the holiday enjoyable. So eat in moderation and savor every bite. Then get yourself back on track!!
Hope this helps get you through the holidays, thanks for stopping by!!
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With the holidays fast approaching I wanted to share with you a fun and beautiful handmade gift idea. A smash book is like a scrapbook combined with an art journal. It’s a place to keep all of your memories of everything and anything that matters to you without much concern for neatness. It’s a place to keep postcards, movie and concert tickets, favorite quotes, photos or anything else you can think of. You can add doodles, thoughts or just memorabilia but it’s up to you.
The base of this was a chipboard book to which I adhered decorative papers from Paris themed paper stack. You can add fun pockets, envelopes, create index cards, tags and all kinds of fun things, just use your imagination. They’re so much fun to make and the best part is you can customize the book for the recipient making it the perfect gift that will be treasured for years to come!
Hope this inspires you to create a handmade gift this year, thanks for stopping by!!!
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I’ve been working on ornaments and I’m going to toot my horn here, because I think they’re turning out really cute😊 There are so many steps involved in creating just one ornament from the painting itself, to the photographs, to creating the video and getting it all up on Instagram and my Etsy Shop. But it’s wonderful when it all comes together!😅
This is the video for “the Wonder of Christmas” and I thought it turned out pretty nice, but what do you think?
Both ornaments, “Making Spirits Bright” and “The Wonder of Christmas” are now available in my Etsy Shop if you’re interested. Stay tuned for more details on an Exclusive Offer which will be announced here and available only to you!
Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a lovely weekend!
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I’m a collector of inspiring quotes and came across this one which I wanted to share with you. I added it to one of my abstract paintings with bold autumn colors. It’s a motivating quote that rings so true:
“Your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” ~Unknown
You can set all the goals you want but if your heart’s desire isn’t in it, if you can’t envision your dream or get discouraged after a few bumps in the road you can bet your bippy, you won’t be successful at it.
Hope this inspires you in some way today. Thanks for stopping by!!
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Pyrography also known as wood burning is a beautiful form of art. I made this piece a while ago but love it because it’s unique and very different from my other art. I initially thought it would’ve been easy to create so when I made this I just dove right in.
I played with a scrap piece of wood trying to get the hang of it before starting on this piece and quickly learned there’s more to it! After doing a bit of research I found books on this art form and learned that not all wood is the same. I also learned that how you use the different tips in your pyrography set will greatly affect the outcome. Very important: Do this in a well ventilated area and wear a mask because there will be smoke from burning the wood.
There are some very talented artists who make super detailed pyrography art pieces that are just stunning. This is a simple piece which I loved plain, but as most of you know, I’m a bit of a color nut. So I ended up adding watercolor paints to the wood. Since wood is porous, it absorbs the paint giving it a softer look and allows the grain to show through. I finished it off with a few embellishments for more interest and bling✨
If you’re interested in trying pyrography, I highly recommend getting a book or watching a few tutorials online so you can decide if it’s something you’d enjoy.
Hope this inspires you to create art, thanks for stopping by!!
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I’m busy creating fun whimsical ornaments in what is now the official “Santa’s Workshop” as indicated by this sign (shown above) which hangs on my studio door🎄 I’m adding fun phrases to these 4×4 inch canvas ornaments and thought I’d ask for your advice. For the first two I used “making spirits bright” and “the Wonder of Christmas.” But the other two still need a fun phrase. So make sure to cast your vote for each in the comments section below!
Snowman House Choices:
A) Baby it’s cold outside
B) Deck the Halls
C) Home Sweet Home
D) Or submit a new idea!
Gold Trimmed Trees Choices:
A) Magic happens
B) Creating memories
C) Good tidings to you
D) Or submit a new idea!
Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to cast your vote!
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Music has a way of calming the mind and soothing the soul. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. He became a world wide sensation influencing musicians with his bold trumpet style and unique vocals at the beginning of his career in the 1920’s.
Louis had a charismatic stage presence and was highly respected by musicians from all types of music and not just jazz. He recorded many popular songs throughout his 50 year career including “Hello Dolly, La Vie En Rose, Star Dust” and my personal favorite “What a Wonderful World.”
I created this watercolor mixed media artwork as a tribute to Louis Armstrong and his beautiful, moving song. You can see the lyrics to “What a Wonderful World” in the background of this piece which he recorded in 1967. This recording was different from his others because it did not feature trumpet. It became a #1 Hit around the world including in England and South Africa but wasn’t really promoted here in the US. However, it was used in Robin Williams film, “Good Morning, Vietnam” and as a result became one of Louis Armstrong’s most-beloved songs.
The lyrics are quite beautiful and moving:
Louis stopped performing in 1969 due to health issues and passed away in his sleep July 6, 1971, at his home in Queens, New York. He was a phenomenal bandleader, jazz trumpeter and singer. I love listening to his songs especially “What a Wonderful World” which can be found on YouTube, just click the live link and it will take you right to it. He saw beauty in the simplest things and that’s what I love most about this song; I find it so comforting. Do you have a favorite Louis Armstrong song?
Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for stopping by!!
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It’s already Halloween and we have just mere 62 days until we ring in the new year! I’m excited but at the same time I’m want to slow things down and take in these beautiful breezy fall days and everything this season has to offer. Hope you have a fun filled day planned with family and friends and lots of goodies 🎃🎃
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Flowing Waters Art 