New Painting Projects

Latest Home Improvement Creations



I just can't stop...painting!!! Maybe I should have titled this blog the Scrapbook (and Painting) with Passion blog?!? Thought I would share with you some of my latest painting projects. The first two photos are from my newly redecorated living room. The canvases were drybrushed and I added the Antiquities photos taken of my boys this summer. I used the old ladder I got on my Grandpa's house auction and another one I picked up while antiquing in Galena, IL. The desk is a hand-me-down from my other Grandpa-I've painted it at least twice. My best friend, Missi, and I picked up the wall hanging in the Shipshewana flea market this summer. It was painted an ugly, bright glossy white and I brought it home and sanded and painted and distressed it. Then, I hung mini-paintings in each open "window". I was experiementing with various painting techniques and then added quotes to some of the pieces.







Decorative Painting Gone WILD!!!

The photos below are all from the church nursery project I finished a few months ago for new Liberty E. Free church building. They built three nurseries and I worked with them to decorate an infant room (stars), toddlers (Jesus Loves Me) and preschool (Noah's Ark) room. Thanks Jill for asking me to help! It was such a delight and brings a smile to my face just looking at the photos. Now, I have to scrapbook these photos and add them to my painting portfolio. How crazy is that!?! I even scrapbook painting projects! But, I must say that my painting portfolio is a very handy tool. I use it whenever I go to a new painting consultation. Often times people have an idea in their mind, but it is hard for them to articulate their ideas. By walking thru my past projects with them, I can soon get a good feel for their style. I photograph all the major painting projects I complete and then I scrapbook the project with the location and customer name. It helps me remember and often inspires new projects. Today, I finished my latest large scale painting project. I'll post more photos soon...

Girlfriends

I'm off to spend a weekend with my girlfriends! I'm looking forward to inspiration, late night chats, good food and time to "just BE together"! I've been busy all week with finalizing the designs for the paper line and writing, writing, writing. I've been debating on flights, hotels and appointments for Vegas. This will be the last chance I have to get away with my friends until CHA, so I plan on enjoying every minute. It will be good to get away-rejuvinate...think new thoughts, and meet new people. I always come back ready to leap high buildings and tackle the mounds of work I left behind. Now, I just have to find some time to pack (and fill the tank with gas, make last minute phone calls, go to the bank, pick up some Dutch bakery goodies...)

Waiting...

"Patience is a virtue" I was always taught as a child. Today, I'm waiting to hear what pieces of art will be included in my first Scrapbook with Passion paper release at CHA Winter. I'm really not anxious-just excited. I'm "ready to roll" and have the paper designs show up in ads, see the catalog and prepare layouts with the new designs. I feel sort of like a kid waiting to open my Christmas presents...

This week I need to focus on writing the last chapter of the book I'm working on. The projects are all completed and I just need to describe exactly "how" I did everything. Thankfully, I took digital photos of all the projects before I sent them off so I have a handy reference in case I need to refer back. I tried very hard to record every product I used while I was actually working so that makes instruction writing much easier.

I "went scrapbooking" Friday night. A group of friends meets at my church one time a month and this week I got to join them. My mom even came along. She was finishing up a project she started in a class she took at convention this summer. I dug into a scrapbook that desperately needed some work. I actually scrapped some photos that were over 3 years old. It felt so good to "catch up" a bit on that project. I'm not one to usually obsess about being "current" in my books, I pretty much scrap what I want when I want. But, a bit of guilt was setting in concerning one of my son's books-I had worked on the other two, but his was drastically behind. It was so good to play with paper, run out of adhesive and just mess with photos for the pure joy of it. I didn't take anything along that I considered work-I only "played" and by the end of the night-I didn't want to stop...I wanted to keep on going and going and going...this hobby can really be addicting! GOTTA LOVE IT!!!!

Fall Family Fun

My TALENTED hubby! I promised a photo and here it is! One of my friends said to me "I thought YOU were the creative one!?!" Brian taught himself how to do balloon animals several years ago. The line was 5 or 6 kids deep all night long.



We love candy! The boys at their school Reformation Celebration.




"Dress up" is an everyday occurance at our house, not just once a year.