Victorian Roses and Lace

This is one of my favorite tags.  Victorian Roses and Lace lends charm and beauty to any gift.  Why adorn your packages with just any tag when you can have beautiful, elegant tags?  You can find this tags and others at Rosecote.com.  Just print the tag on sticker paper or index card stock.  Then cut it out with a pair of scissors, add a ribbon tie if you wish, and your gift will be uniquely identified with a tag that will be just as treasured as the gift.

Enjoy your day and be sure to visit How Sweet the Sound and participate in Pink Saturday with me!

Posh Pansies

Adorn your packages with elegant tags.  These summer pansies accented with lace and topped with a tassel lend charm and beauty to any gift.  You can find these tags and others at Rosecote.com.  Just print them out on sticker paper or index card stock.  Then cut them out with a pair of scissors, add a ribbon tie if you wish, and your gift will be uniquely identified with a tag that will be just as treasured as the gift.

Enjoy your day and be sure to visit How Sweet the Sound and participate in Pink Saturday with me!

Vintage Rolodex Rotary Cards

Do you still have a Rolodex Rotary Card holder? With the plethora of electronic devices, these are becoming obsolete, but now you might want to use yours again with these "Vintage" Rolodex Rotary Cards! Just print them out on card stock, available from your local office supply store, using your printer. Even if you discarded your rotary card holder, you can use these as note cards or place setting name cards. All you need is a pair of scissors.

This set of 6 cards measure 2 5/8" x 4" each.  Click to download them with my compliments.  The PDF file is 7.7 mg so it may take a moment to fully load.  Enjoy!

Be sure to visit How Sweet the Sound and participate in Pink Saturday with me!

Roses on Wallpaper

The neat thing about being a creative is that you can find all kinds of things to paint upon.  Wallpaper lends itself to some exciting backgrounds.  It doesn't have to be perfect either.  Ripped, torn, dirty.  All the better.

This is a background I made from some wallpaper, added the writing and grunge.  Once painted, I tore the edges and antiqued them.

The painting is mounted to a mat and framed as shown below.  This background, without the three painted roses, is available as a digital download to be printed using your own printer.  Visit www.rosecote.com.

 Thank you to Beverly for her dedication to Pink Saturday.  How Sweet the Sound.

Summer Hydrangeas at 10,000 ft

 My Aunt has a beautiful old house in Victor, Colorado.  I think she has owned it for more than 50 years, and the house is well over 100 years old.

Victor is a famous gold mining town in the mountains West of Colorado Springs.  It is just a few miles from Cripple Creek, known for its gold boom days, which is booming again today!

My husband and I had the privilege of spending a few weekends at the Victor house this summer.  It was a much welcomed escape from the heat, and I spent the days painting!

The house is filled with antiques from my Great Aunt Pearl, my Great Grandmother McComb, and my Grandmother.  These furniture pieces, and china and glassware are all familiar, and I feel surrounded in the present and the past all at once.  Imagine sleeping in my Great Grandfather's brass and iron bed!  Grandpa McComb died long before I was born, and there I am sleeping in his bed!  Who knew?

On our trips to the Victor house, I discovered this old chair, It was begging me to paint it.  With my Aunt's permission, I painted these hydrangeas and plums on it while my Aunt watched and read the Bible.  She was thrilled with the result, and I was thrilled with the time we shared together!

There is another chair under the house that is calling to me!  This next summer I will be painting on it for sure.  In the meantime, I found an old 'pocket stove' that is demanding embellishment.  It will be at the Victor house next summer disguised as a table!

Decorative painting is a lifestyle for the young and old.

2011 Woodpile Projects

In January of 2011 I challenged myself to paint one project a month from my extensive woodpile.  I can proudly say that I rescued twelve pieces from a dusty old shelf life and brought them into the world of decorative living!

Some of these projects were unfinished pieces from as long as 25 years ago!  Others were designs that I had admired by other designers, and after all these years, I still wanted to paint them.  Still others were pieces that were painted to finish out a set of place settings or were seminar projects that I had designed myself.

Decorative Art is an art form that has existed from early man and has evolved as our tools and skills have improved.  Leaving a cache of unfinished projects and all the painting surfaces that I have collected over the years would be a real shame!  I want to add my "2-cents worth" to the history of Decorative Art so I am setting my goal again for the new year.  Paint one project a month from my woodpile!  I have found a real sense of accomplishment and inspiration to design and create more!  It is exciting to anticipate the pieces that I will be painting this year!

My Christmas Card Box

Something decorative with pink roses, of course, is called for to keep Christmas cards during the holidays or to treasure at any time of year.  This is a lid to a wooden box, with a cut-out so that the cards lying in the box can be viewed through the lid.  I purchased the box over 15 years ago, and finally painted it just this last week.  The design is from the book, Country Gardens from Cedar Crest.  I love Mary Jo Leisure's designs.  I admire how the line of her designs flow...with such ease and grace.

Roses are a favorite painting subject of mine, but I also like to paint blackberries, raspberries, and mulberries.  I remember fondly the mulberry trees at my Aunt Eileen's house in Kansas.  My cousins and I used to pick them and eat as many as we threw at one another.  We all would have mulberry stains on our clothes, but I don't remember every getting in trouble for that!  Everytime I see a mulberry, I think of Aunt Eileen and the fun we cousins had forming clubs, building club houses and mulberry fights.  This Christmas, Aunt Eileen will remembered with every Christmas card I store in my new card box.

Thank you to Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday!

Jot It Down

It's Pink Saturday!  I thought I would share a book cover design I have created to help me collect my thoughts and ideas for color schemes, painting designs, etc.  It is pink, of course.

I dream in color.  I often work out paintings, color schemes and even patterns in my sleep.  I find that if I stick to the color I 'see' in my dream, the color of the design works out perfectly.  This booklet helps me to remember to jot it down.

I also keep sticky notes in the booklet too.  Though sticky notes are handy, they have become a plague in my office.  I have them everywhere.  After a short time, I can't remember what they are about, and I am afraid to throw them away.  So I tape them in my booklet.  There, a pretty office organizer too!

Something pink and pretty to write in!  I have these available on my website.  I also design unique, one-of-a-kind covers for others.  Interested?

Thank you to Beverly for hosting another grand Pink Saturday!

Happy Valetine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  I found this vintage card several years ago and added my own touch (the painted roses) to entice you to be my Valentine. .
Thank you to Beverly for hosting this very special Pink Saturday.

          Happy Pink Saturday

A Valentine Setting

Valentine's Day is approaching, and I wanted to show you a simple centerpiece on my dining room table.  I painted this heart-shaped hatbox many years ago.  It has always been one of my favorite pieces.  I finished the inside of the box with gathered fabric, ribbons and lace.  This centerpiece has served for a many Valentine tea and a few romantic dinners.  My Father made the gorgeous  Tiffany lamp.  I leave it on 24 hours a day.  It is beautiful at night through the front window.  Yes, the lamp is roses in sumptuous reds and pinks.  It all goes so well with the pink carpet!

Another wonderful Pink Saturday here in Colorado.  Thank you to Beverly for hosting Pink Saturdays!

Roses on Nook Cover

Happy New Year everyone!  This new year I am starting off with a good book on my new Nook.  For years I have been reading books on my Palm.  Yes, I still have a Palm T3.  I take it with me on all my travels.  Well now I will be reading books on the Nook.  As soon as I opened it this Christmas, I knew that I would be personalizing the pink cover with roses.  This is a photo of roses I painted.  It actually goes with my luggage that I painted three years ago!  A girl has got to be pink co-ordinated at all times.  Thanks go to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting Pink Saturday.  Keep it pink for 2011!

It's Pink Saturday!

My posting for my 2nd Pink Saturday is a Gift Tag.  I love the romantic, Victorian look, and delicate pinks suit my sensibilities.  I made this tag using a combination of my artwork, digital elements and computer skills.  They are so much fun to create.  I make one and an idea for another is born.  I can foresee that there will be many gift tags!

Thank you Brenda at How Sweet the Sound for hosting Pink Saturday!  Thank you to all of you who took a moment to welcome me.  It is taking me a while, but I am making it to all of your blogs.  All of you are so creative and inspiring.  It is fun to be associated with so many connoisseurs of Pink!

Pink Saturday

I am participating in Pink Saturday.  Begun by Beverly at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/, the idea is that you can post anything pink on Saturdays!  Now how hard is that going to be for me?  The hard part is not to post anything pink on Sunday through Friday.  Ha!  So here is my first truly pink item, (posted on Friday in anticipation of Saturday).

This luggage was painted for my trip to Antarctica.  It brightened up the landscape!  I painted roses near the handles on the top and sides of each of the pieces.  When I checked in at the ticket counter, I was asked by the agent if I was selling these!  I wish I could have said "Yes!".  My luggage was easy to find, and I was assigned the tag line, "Antarctic Barbie".

I continue to use the luggage and truly enjoy it!  By the way, I bought the luggage for $49.95 for the three pieces.  The black garment bag pictured behind the pink luggage was about the same price.  I painted roses on the gussets of the garment bag so that the bags piggybacked on the garment bag would not mar the roses.  I was able to maneuver all of the luggage by myself.

Thank you, Beverly, for inspiring Pink Saturday.  This is going to be fun!

Match Those Switchplates!

Decorative painting lends itself to a myriad of surfaces.  I painted some switchplates for one of my husband's customers to match her new kitchen tile, and now the word has spread!  I just finshed another set of nine for one of her friends.

This was painted using acrylics, and then sprayed with a matte finish.

These are a lot of fun to paint.  Guess I had better paint the ones in my own kitchen to match the marble backsplash!  Yes, the marble is pink!  Did you have to ask?

Hydrangea Decor

Next to roses, hydrangeas are my favorite flower. I love hydrangeas! I am in love with the huge blossoms that stay on the flower until you cut them off. They look just as beautiful in a fresh bouquet as in a dried arrangement. I like the "looseness" of the petals, the huge leaves, and the colors of the blossoms, fresh or dried.  Throughout my house, one can find hydrangeas crafted in stained glass, dried hydrangeas surrounding a mirror, hydrangea print coverlets, hydrangeas fashioned in tapestry, and paintings of hydrangeas. I even used hydranges in my wedding bouquet and as decoration on the wedding cake. That is how much this flower!

Hydrangeas are often thought of as a truly Victorian flower. In the large manor houses of England, it was easy to fill huge vases with their beautiful blossoms since hydrangeas grow to be as big as a salad plate! That may be why in the language of flowers they are known as "A boaster".

Here at Rosecote hydrangeas are a little harder to grow. Though I may not have a hydrangea tree, I purchase a hydrangea bush every season, and when it starts blooming, there is much celebration, and should I say, even a boastful attitude!

You may also be in love with this flower. As a decorative artist you may have tried to paint your own interpretation of its masses of petals. Whether painted suggestively and loose, or with photo-realism, their old-fashioned loveliness make hydrangeas utterly desirable.

Decorating for SPRING!

The first day of spring in the Colorado Rockies brought as much as 2 feet of snow in some places, but I persevered and did some decorating.

This is a vignette that I created on my bedroom dresser using a piece I designed with a pink hydrangea as a focal point and arranging a few of my perfume bottles along with it. My bedspread print is muted pink hydrangeas with roses on an ivory background.  The vignette compliments the bedspread colors while repeating the design elements.

When creating vignettes it is good to consider using different textures such as shiny surfaces along with dull.  Note the tapestry potpourri pouch next to the lamp.  It makes a nice statement with the glass. Varying heights and widths of elements within the vignette also add interest.

More decorating ideas to follow.  Hydranges were my inspiration!  Find some one thing or maybe a color and move out the winter decor for a new Spring look.

Golfing

I married a golfer and the only time I played golf was in a college PE class. Johnny has taken me out to the golf course several times giving me tips and lessons. Early on at one of those outings we found a full bag of golf clubs that someone had thrown in the dumpster! Those became my clubs and I was just fine with that. Afterall, I did not show a lot of promise.

This month is my birthday month, and Johnny shopped for a pink golf club set. When he asked me if I wanted a new set of clubs, I said that I was just fine with the ones I had, but then he mentioned the pink clubs. Well, I thought that sounded pretty cool, so we set out to find just the right set of pink clubs. Yes, pink golf clubs! The club shafts are pink and actually have a decorative motif on the shafts. I now have a beautiful set of pink golf clubs, pink golf balls, and pink tees. For the first time I consistently drove the ball between 75 and 150 yards and did not roll the ball on the fairway taking seven shots to get to the green! My putting is not as good as with the other putter, so I am going to have to get used to the new putter.

I am thrilled with the pink look and am looking forward to more golf outings. If you need a boost to your golf game I might suggest pink clubs. By the way, I am going to paint roses on the bag. Surprised?

A New Year

Today is the beginning of a new year and I have spent it in my nightgown! I have not watched a single football game. I have worked on the computer, painted a rose, dreamt about future painting projects. This year I would like to paint more digital art. I have a Wacom Cintiq monitor and I LOVE it! I want to lose myself in the world of color and use my pen mouse just like a paintbursh. This is my goal for the new year.

But today I talked with friends and family, relaxed, and lived in the moment. It is a good day.

Wishing you a good day too on the first day of the New Year.

A Tip for Gray Days

During the winter months when the days are shorter, and the skies are gray, I get depressed. I am one of those people who need sunshine to thrive. I have purchased daylight light bulbs to place in light fixtures in my office and studio, and that helps. I have also learned that surrounding myself with simple pleasures helps too, so a soothing cup of tea with vanilla added, some good music, and a colorful pen in my hand while working gives me a sense that things will get better.

My advise to you if you suffer from this malady is to surround your work area with light, and pamper yourself. Little things can make all the difference in a bad day being tolerable.

What Every Girl Needs

A couple of years ago my local hardware store had these 6-in-1 Hammer/Srewdrivers and I purchased them for gifts for my daughters. I have three of these for myself, two are standard screwdrivers, and one is a Philips Head screwdriver set. The screwdrivers nest inside the handle of the hammer. I love these! Of course, no self respecting man would be caught dead using one of these, and that is one of the reasons you can always find it! I keep two in my studio, and one in my office.

Well, I can't find them locally at the moment, and I want to give them as gifts this Christmas. I found them online at YankeePostman.com for just $4.49 plus $5.41 S/H. They make great stocking stuffers, or buy one to treat yourself. This is what every girl needs.

Just another way of Living the Decorative Art Lifestyle.