Thrifting, Flowers and Painting

August!

This was my July cubbie display but it will be changing this weekend!

Mom and I went thrift shopping one day last week and had a really good time.  She found several books and some bowls.  I hit the jackpot it seems!

Another pottery piece to hold more paint brushes.  I like this one because it is tall and holds them upright really well.  I took one off my desk that didn't work as well. Only .50!!

Brand new Pier 1 mug for $1.49

I love the Fall colors and it's big!

I've been looking for a plate rack to hold smaller saucer size plates and this one was $l.49 and is perfect for some of my Paris plates.  Now to figure out where I want to hang it...hum???

A Bible from the free pile! 

I love it and it is in great condition. I'll use this in my weekly Ladies' Bible study group. 

I must say I got REALLY excited when I saw this duvet cover.  Paris, Pink, Polka Dots!!  Someone made it and the fabric alone would have been more then the $7.50 I paid for it!  Washed and on the bed, it looks great!

This was my favorite find of the day.  It is a Napco Madonna vase and even if she does have a broken thumb, I love her.  I thought I might give this to a friend, but she seems so happy here by my Bible collection.  Only $1!!!

I also found two frames for $1/each.  One for this photo of Scout I had printed at Shutterfly and the other was my watercolor painting of Bluebonnets I did for my Mom.  She loves it! 

Watercolors!  

I've been painting again!

This was a photo from
'The Eggs and I'  Facebook page. 

Again I painted from a photo but decided not to put them side by side,  the colors are hard to match and then photograph but it's an inspiration not a copy :)

If this is your photo please let me know! I promise to start being more mindful of the photos I download so I can give credit!

This was really fun to paint! 

I was looking on Amazon for a travel case for my paint brushes.  I came across this one for $4 and it had brushes in it (yes all for $4)

So I ordered it!  Love the case and my good brushes will fit in there and be safe for travel!  The others will either be used for gouche paints or for the Grands!

I am a bargain hunter always!

I thought I'd leave you with a photo of my craft room.  Still a work in progress but the wall of shelves is finally done.  I need to go through all my art/craft/scrapbooking supplies and decide what to keep and what to donate.

That's a lot of stuff!

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Catching Up!

Once again the month is almost over!

Summer has been a busy time.

Mom bought a new car!

She had been having a bit more difficulty getting in and out of her RAV-4 so we went car shopping.

We decided on this 2017 Toyota Camry!  It is a really nice car and Mom is having a much easier time getting in and out.  So far we like it.

(I drive she rides)

Sara took the kids blueberry picking!

As you can see they had fun!  Tiger helped to make blueberry muffins and cobbler and shared it with us!

Delicious!

If you follow me on IG or FB you saw where I ended up in the hospital ER.  I was having pains that reminded me of last years pancreatitis and so my Dr told me to go to the ER.  I am so glad it wasn't pancreatitis but the Dr said yes it can come back so I need to be more careful of my diet.   I started feeling better after some IV fluids, pain meds and a clear liquid diet for a 24 hours. 

THEN... I got a summer cold...picked up I'm sure at the ER.  Ugh!

Finally feeling better this week. 

I think my blog has become a diary of my illnesses.  I have always been so healthy and suddenly it seems I catch every cold and virus around.  I've been trying to up my immune system and get healthier before we start another round of flu season! 

I've been doing a bit of watercolor painting but not much.  I'm working on a fun challenge of a color a day prompt.  This is one page of my efforts!

I recently bought a tube of Coral watercolor paint, perfect for this first attempt at a Flamingo.  I surprised myself! It even looks like a Flamingo!

I've been downloading photos of flowers as inspiration for my painting. This was my first effort.  Side by side the colors are all wrong (mine looks so blue!) but this was my first try and it was fun.   
Edited to add the poppy photo was from my friend Jeanie from The Marmalade Gypsy! 

My friend Cheri sent me a Hobby Lobby gift card for my birthday.

I bought this journal 40% off

on sale and used a 40% coupon on a tube of watercolor paint and used up that gift card! 

 Thank you Cheri.

Sara and Tiger will be heading back to school soon.  They start so early here.  Scout continues to enjoy her friends at daycare and Blake is working at the YMCA.  We have so much to be thankful for.

During children's time at church!

Annie Belle has survived the trauma of roofers pounding away.  She hid under the couch for hours (poor baby).

As we say goodbye to July I hope you are having a wonderful summer! 

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Wednesday Watercolors #5

It has been a long time since my last watercolor post.  I was so busy that I didn't have much time to watercolor for a month or so.  I've finally made some time to paint so it's time to share! 

My Mom and I are Texans by birth and we both love Blue Bonnets.  I thought I would paint some for Mom for Mother's day back in May.

This is one of several attempts and I never felt like any of them came out well enough to frame for Mom.  

I'll keep trying.  It was my first time trying to paint 'for someone' and it was hard.  Higher expectations I guess.

This painting had me feeling better and so I've been painting more in June.

This was inspired by an online tutorial

As was this.  I must admit I'm starting to see some progress in my painting.

One of the teachers I follow had a online coupon for free shipping from an art supply store.  I decided to buy three brushes that were on sale.  

These are Silver Black Velvet brushes.  A combination of synthetic and sable.

WOW!  I really love these brushes.  So when you start out and they tell you to buy the best brushes you can, they really do make a difference.

Pink Poppy from a tutorial and tried using a scraper for texture. 

I'm also trying to expand my color palette and try other things besides my pinks!  This is my latest painting done yesterday.

I find that painting is relaxing to me.  I also find that I like to 'doodle' while on the phone.  I can sit down at my table and use up the paints on my palette randomly.  

Just playing with color! 

I think I'm going to try a challenge in July to paint once a day using prompts. It should be fun! 

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Watercolor Wednesday #4

I have a few new projects to share.

I didn't paint much for a week or so.

I've been sick again.  I really am thinking I need to work on my immune system.  This time it went to my chest and I saw the Dr.  Several meds later I'm better but still not well.  I've been resting, sleeping, reading and watching TV.  Trying not to do much of anything and give my body a chance to heal.  

A class on wreaths with flowers

I did two and like them fairly well.

Then I decided to add 'Choose Joy' to the center of this wreath.  Disaster! 

So I kept adding and adding until I ended up with this mess!

So less is more and I also find I'm not good with painting words.  Still I learned from it and that is the whole point in it!

I shared these pages from my workbook last time.  I decided to just keep playing with the page on the left and this is how it turned out.  I used a cheap $4 set of pan paints from Michael's as the teacher did.  So you can use inexpensive paints to start and get fair results.

It really was a lot of fun!  I'm feeling more confident in my color mixing.  I'm trying to loosen up and just have fun.  Where I made muddy flowers I added some ink pen to it and saved it I think.

Another class on loose painting with a large round #12 brush.

This was good for me. I find that I like smaller brushes because I have better control but the large brushes can make such pretty blends.  So trying to push myself out of my comfort zone.

More large brush work trying to make Roses at the top from a tutorial.  I think it's a fail.  Then I just played with colors.

Trying some new techniques using different brushes.

More color and this feel like a success to me.  Not complete but a good practice piece.

So that's the watercolor fun from the last couple of weeks.  

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Watercolor Wednesday #3

April is such a busy month around here but so much fun!  So I haven't had as much time to watercolor as I hoped but have managed a few lessons and practice here and there! 

I finished the Sweets class with

Various fruits...

and Ice Cream Cones

I really messed up the top left cone but after it dried I added some ink pen and it really helped.  Teaching me to keep trying!

I took a class on painting a butterfly

screen shot of the butterfly we are going to paint...let's see if mine looks anything like this.

I started with a pencil sketch.  I really hate sketching because I think I'm horrible at it, but following the lesson I gave it a try.  

Not bad.

I mixed paint to get a color close to the teachers.  It was fun and I'll try to do more color mixing soon.

I'm still having trouble getting the right mix of paint and water, but it will just take more practice.

As you can see I got mine way darker then the example but I like it.  I added the wreath around it just because! 

I decided to make some bookmarks for my Methodist women's circle.  I had the program for April again and last year I made butterfly bookmarks for them.  My daughter Sara really liked the daffodils I
painted a few weeks ago, so I decided it was simple and I could make 15 of them! 

I did!  I think they came out pretty well.

Close up of a couple of them.  Everyone loved getting them and I have some to share with the ladies in my Bible Study group also.  I left them blank so they could add a favorite Bible verse of their own. 

I'm just starting a new lesson on flowers again.  Trying to be 'loose' with the brush and let the color 'flow'

I'll keep practicing and maybe do a bouquet on a good sheet of paper and see if it's frameable!

I do love the new watercolors I told you about last time.  I need to learn much more about mixing colors for sure.  I found a fabulous deal on some porcelain pallets with free shipping so purchased a couple.  

I like mixing on the porcelain since the paint doesn't bead up like it does on plastic or metal pallets.  

I'm hoping to have a thrifty finds post up on Friday!  See you then!

Wishing you JOY,

Linda