A Georgia Estate

Earlier this year, I donated a Custom Mixed Media Home Painting as an auction item to the Vestavia Hills Elementary School Auction in Birmingham, AL. It's the school that my best friend Kelley's kids attend. The winners, Ken and Jackie asked me to paint their lovely estate in Georgia. 

 A Georgia Estate

11x14 Mixed Media Acrylic

A bit about the estate—The home was built in the middle of a pecan orchard that was eventually developed into a neighborhood. Now the home sits on an acre with twelve pecan trees. It was wood originally and was brick veneered in 1935. 

On the left is Jackie, the home owner and on the right is my dear friend Kelley.

I hope they like it!

Kid Safe-Camp Fire: How To

Nothing says summer like roasting marshmallows over a campfire! So to celebrate the last day of school, I brought the (Kid Safe) camp fire to to the classroom! The kids had fun roasting marshmallows over the fake camp fire and then they enjoyed S'mores and had a watermelon seed spitting contest! Yes, there are still watermelons with seeds in this world! Whodathought?

Check out my easy "How To" for the Kid-Safe Camp Fire, so you can build your own!

What You'll Need:

• (2) Paper Towel Rolls

• (1) Paint Stick

• Download the Flames and Logs Templates

• Craft paper (or a small brown paper bag)

• Scissors or Exacto Knife

• Double-stick Tape or Glue

STEP 1: Cut the Paint Stick in half. (You can toss the other half.)

STEP 2: Download and cut out the Flames template I provided and adhere them to both sides of the paint stick leaving a 2" tip.

STEP 3: Wrap the Paper Towel rolls with the Log template and trim the edges as necessary. Adhere with glue or double-stick tape. Cut a rectangle in the middle of one so that the other PT roll fits snuggly inside. Then cut a small slit in the second PT roll. Crumple up some craft paper and stuff it in each end of the logs.

Put it together and viola! A Kid Safe Camp Fire!

AND HELLOOOOOOO SUMMER!

I'm sharing this post with my friends at Sugar and Dots, Polkadots On Parade, and Skip to My Lou!

House Mixed Media Piece — A Downtown Cottage

Just wrapped this painting up and delivered it to a customer:)

"Downtown Cottage"

11x14 Mixed Media Canvas

Reference

Materials used:

• Old book pages for the house 

• Canvas cut into shingles for the roof

• Paper pulp for the shrubs

• Chipboard trim and columns

• Masking tape background

• Molding paste greenery

• Fabric windows

• Acrylic paint

Downtown South Call for Artists - Submission

My neighborhood, Downtown South, in conjunction with the City of Orlando recently created a public art project sending out a "Call for Artists" to submit designs to transform eleven of the City of Orlando's metal traffic signal utility boxes.

Design Requirements:
1) 2-D design
2) Art must cover all four sides of the electrical box3) Center around the theme of Downtown South past, present and future
4) Incorporate the words "Downtown South" and the pointed logo

Here's my submission:

I wanted to keep my design clean and simple with big graphics that pop and catch people's eye as they drive by. I chose my favorite colors for the pallet and went retro with the design to encompass the theme of DT South's past, present and future. The words on each panel describe Downtown South. 

"HELLO" Welcomes all visitors and residents alike to our area featuring a classic and friendly greeter.

"THRIVING" DT South has flourished so much since I moved to the area 9 years ago. I'm so glad to be a part of its growth.

"URBAN" Us city dwellers love DT South because it's convenient to everything. 

"LIVING" We Live, Work and Play here.

The DT South pointed logo appears twice. Can you find it?

 I'll let you know if my submission gets chosen!

Teacher Appreciation Week— Our Teachers Are So Cool!

The theme for our school's Teacher Appreciation Week this year is "Fun in the Sun". Thoughts of summer at the beach came to mind— building sandcastles, jumping in the waves, frisbee and of course the ice cream truck! I grew up in Ormond Beach, FL with the "world's most famous beach" just minutes away from my house. Daytona Beach was, and still is, the only beach you can drive on. Growing up, one of my favorite parts of going to the beach was walking down to the ice cream truck and getting a bomb pop (those red, white and blue ones) yum! It was fun to bring one of my favorite beach memories to life  on a bulletin board at school. I think the kids will love it too. Who doesn't love ice cream?

Another Mixed Media Commission

I'm slowly catching up on my Mixed Media Home painting orders. This is #2 of 8! 

 Sunny Stucco

11"x14" Mixed Media Canvas

My reference

Latest House Painting— Ivy's

I delivered this House painting to a repeat customer last weekend and they seemed very pleased. I was so glad too because I was late delivering the painting. I had promised it weeks ago and just couldn't get myself to switch gears from everything else I've been doing and slow down to paint. Don't get me wrong, I love painting, I just don't get to do it as often as I would like and as a result, I'm not a confident that the result will always be good. I know I'm my own worst critique. I sit and look at a blank canvas I think to myself, can I make this happen? Is it going to be good? It takes a long time complete my house paintings because I spend a lot of time just sitting and staring at my work trying to figure out how to make it better.

I spent a long evening on this piece last week and finally went to bed still not happy with it. Then I left it on my studio table for a week, knowing it was past due and feeling more and more like I wasn't going to be able to make this painting meet my expectations. Days passed and finally early last Saturday morning, I laid in bed and asked God to just let me paint. Just let me relax... and paint. So I got up and went out to my studio. And I knew, the moment I made my first brush stroke, that this painting was going to make me smile. I breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed painting the rest of the morning:)

"Ivy's"

12"x12" Stretch Canvas

Close-up

The part where I wasn't happy with it.

Lego Star Wars Comic Book with a Chocolate Twist!

A customer who purchased my Lego Star Wars Comic Book Invite asked if I could somehow incorporate chocolate Lego candy into the invite. So I did...

Made me chuckle.

XBOX 360 Birthday — a Smashing Success!

Well, it took me three years to get back on the big birthday bandwagon, but I did it. The last party I threw for my son Wesley was a "Mad Science" party when he turned 7. It was quite a success, if I do say so myself. Although, as I recall, none of the experiments I performed actually worked. In fact, one of the kids at the party raised his hand and asked, "Are any of these experiments going to work?" Ok, so I'm no scientist, but it was still a pretty cool party:) So now, three years later, my boy is turning the big 1-0 and I hopped on the band wagon, errr...Game Truck... to celebrate.

Wes had a hard time narrowing down his party theme, but finally settled on an XBOX Party. You can see the invites I designed here. And let me tell you, those invites got all the boys really excited to come to Wes' party! I kept the GAME TRUCK a surprise, telling him I would set up some XBOX stations throughout the house for him and his friends to play.

A GREAT KICK_OFF TO SPRING BREAK:After school on Thursday, GAME TRUCK rolled up in front of our house and all the boys were ecstatic! It was a pretty easy party to prepare. I had some chips and bottled water for the kids. We ordered pizza. Had cake and then the kids ran around the yard with their NERF guns. It was a great party!

I made a got a 3'x5' banner made of the front of Wesley's invite and used it as the backdrop. This banner now hangs in the boys' playroom.

I gave a local bakery a picture of the XBOX logo and asked them to recreate it. Those are sparkler candles on top.

NERF Wars!

  

I think Wesley's 10th birthday is one he's always going to remember!

Love you Wesley!

Sharing this party with my friends at the DIY Showoff

An Unparalleled Birthday Adventure!

Ok, so I'm totally behind planning my soon to be 10 year old's birthday party. His birthday is a week and a half away. But it's not all my fault! He kept changing his mind as to what he wanted to do. First it was a Secret Agent Party, then specifically—Sherlock Holmes. Then a Nerf Wars Party. I tried, and failed, to convince him to have a water slide party. FINALLY, he settled on a Video Game/Nerf Wars/Trampoline/Pizza Party. How's that for simplicity?

THE BIG SURPRISE: What he doesn't know is that I booked GAME TRUCK for his party. Dude! I AM TOTALLY STOKED! (Can Moms say that?) A Game Truck trailer is going to pull up in front of our house at 3:30 sharp next Thursday after school. And 16-20 of Wesley's closest friends will be invited to pile into the truck and play video games for two whole hours! Game Truck provides a Gaming Host who will manage all the kids while they play, so I don't have to. Woohoo! And I even got a discount for booking the party on a week day!

After two hours of video games, they'll be ushered out of the truck for pizza, cake, Nerf Wars and a little bit of Trampoline time. And at 6:30pm— GAME OVER PEOPLE!

Oh, I'm a genius!

Of course, these invites are for sale in my shop HERE so you can be a genius too.

My latest little creation for a sweet first birthday celebration!

What makes this Birthday Invitation so adorable is the picture of the sweet little baby girl turning one! 

These custom invites are for sale in my shop! Birthday Bunting and Thank You Cards are on the way!

A House Painting— "Avalon Home"

Just finished this house painting up for a customer.

"Avalon Home"

12"x12" Mixed Media

 See my picture references of the house? The house was kind of a sand color with  blue trim. The customer said she wanted to change the house colors to cream and red. I added the shutters myself. Hope she likes them!

My favorite part I used wire to create the detailed umbrella.front door

School Bulletin Board Update — Presidents' Day and more

I've gotten a lot of Pins on my Spring Bulletin Board from last year, so I thought I'd share some of the other bulletin board designs I've done for those of you out there looking for ideas.

President's Day

 Drug Free Week

 Thanksgiving/Fall

 Winter

Beginning of the School Year

 School Lobby 2010/11

School Lobby 2011/12