“Welcome 2012″

Gingerbread boys hanging out in the snow

These little gingerbread boys think the snow is great! They are visiting my daughter in Utah. After the snow melts we will bring them indoors and place them all snuggled and warm back in their cozy little box. Next holiday season we will bring them out again.

Since we live in Texas, we get very little snow. However, we have had two very good rains lately. After the extremely dry year we had in 2011 it was very much appreciated.

I can’t believe January of 2012 is half over and I am still posting Christmas ornaments. Do you think I am a little behind?

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, you’re always welcome back!

It’s Santa Time

What a wonderful time of year.

This is a little Santa I painted recently. I cut the design from 3/4″ white pine. After a whole lot of sanding and many hours of painting I finally arrived with the finished product.

I like the way it turned out and it really was a labor of love. I can bring it out every year and it will always have a special place in our home.

Happy Holidays to all!

Back Door Fall Decoration

Just a funny little wooden pumpkin decoration I made to sit by the back entrance to say, “Welcome”, to our back door guests.

Did you notice the little green hedgeapple sitting by the bucket? In Texas these are called horse apples.  They are supposed to be used to repel bugs, spiders, ants, mice, etc. We are testing out that theory. We will see if they work.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, you’re always welcome back!

Yes, there really is a cool season

“October gave a party; the leaves by hundreds came – the chestnuts, oaks, and maples, and leaves of every name. The sunshine spread a carpet, and everything was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band.” George Cooper

The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are falling and winter will be here soon. After our extremely hot and dry summer, believe me it is very much appreciated.

Can anyone resist putting out their fall decorations? Not I. The rich yellow, orange and deep red leaves falling from the trees are quite lovely.

This pumpkin is just a little something I made some time ago. It is made from 3/4 ” pine and decorated with a red heart, half-moon, star, and grapevine. It was one of those projects where you use what you have and design as you go.

I love this fall season. It always seems to say, come, it’s time to sit and rest awhile.

Til next time, thanks for stopping by!

Paper Plate Holder

I made this paper plate holder from 3/4″ white pine. It is painted sky blue with white clouds. It has been sealed with a coat of clear varnish. I use it in my kitchen sitting on the counter to hold my paper plates. This is a Gail Eads design from her painting book “Country Nest”.

Have a great week everyone, and keep painting!

Painted Fruit Anyone?

This is just a handy little wooden box that offers storage for everyday items such as pins, needles, buttons, keepsakes, and all sorts of treasures.   It was painted medium blue with fruit on a dark blue top. I finished it off with a coat of clear varnish. Yea, pretty neat box.

Do you have a handy little box you use to store your treasures? Please comment!Would love to hear from you!

Recipe for American Flag

This is a Gail Eads
pattern from her painting book “Country Nests” (I love her patterns).

It is just a little recipe for an american flag made from white pine wood, cut and painted by me.

A flagpole sits at the top displaying a tattered flag with a bird nest on each side.

I finished it off with clear varnish and used jute as the hanger.

 

Happy Painting!

A Little Something for the Birds

I like to paint anything blue and on wood. I like to paint anything blue. I like to paint anything.

Have you ever seen a pot holding a bird house? probably not, but what the heck, it’s still cool, or at least it’s cool according to Hall. Just make your style shine.

It’s scorching today in Texas and to hot to paint, so please excuse me while I go read a Blog.

Til next time, have a wonderful week.

 

Gingerbread Man Paper Towel Holder

Everyone loves a gingerbread man. I love to use the gingerbread man design in my crafts. This one was made into a paper towel holder. It also has a small removable gingerbread man on top of the dowel which holds the towels.

Crafts were really going strong in my neck of the woods (Texas) in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s. I opened my craft and gift shop in 1997 and did well until late 2001. That was when the craft business bit the dust. I hope someday the customers will return (make it soon, please).

Please send me a comment and share your thoughts on when you think crafts will be thriving again. I really, really, really would like to hear from you and hear your predictions on the future of the craft business.

Until next time, thanks for visiting!

A Paintbrush, A Piece of Wood, and A Birdhouse

I love to craft birdhouses. Take a piece of wood, cut out the birdhouse, use a few nails, slap on a coat of paint and you have created a birdhouse.

I can’t seem to stop with one. I must have many. What do you do with many birdhouses? You sell a few. You try to get your friends to take one (your relatives already have many), and the rest are scattered around your house. We call them country home decor.

These are just a few I have made over the years. I have many more in different stages of being completed. One day I will get the birdhouse fever again and finish the whole bunch. Then I will have more country home decor.

Paint for fun, Paint for pleasure, Just paint!