Springtime Giveaway!

As promised, I am sponsporing another giveaway. I'd posted on Facebook that when my Etsy shop reached 1000 "hearts", I would do a giveaway in celebration of that. Kneedeeporiginals now has 1028 hearts, so I'm just a wee bit late, but better late than never.

So here's what I'm offering in this giveaway.


Love Me Tender is a cheery 4 x 6 original watercolor that will easily fit into a standard mat or frame. It was painted on 140 lb cold press watercolor paper and will be packaged a protective sleeve between sturdy cardboard for safe delivery to you.

So how do you win?

1. Go to my Etsy shop OR my website and check out what's for sale. Then return here and leave a comment to tell me which item you like best and why. This will count as ONE try at winning.
2. Are you following me here OR on Facebook? Please leave a comment that tells me that, and you'll get ANOTHER try at winning.
3. If you purchase something from my Etsy shop between now and the end of the giveaway (paintings, scrimshaw, and CD) or my personal website (paintings, scrimshaw, CD, and jewelry), that counts as TWO more chances at winning. Please be sure to let me know here that you have done so. If you buy more than one item, that's TWO more chances.
4. Share this giveaway on your blog or FB page, provide YOUR link in a comment here, and that counts as ANOTHER try at winning.

So all in all, you can have SEVERAL chances to win. This giveaway will end at 8:00 PM on Thursday, March 24, two weeks from today. Good luck, everyone!

Spring, Oh Spring!

It's just around the corner, at least for some of us. I found these in my garden yesterday evening and was so joyous that I danced a little jig and clapped my hands in delight!


So this morning I took my dog Foster outside with me and we did a little tour of the yard to check on things and take photos.





Because I wanted to celebrate my joy, I painted a new watercolor specifically for this gorgeous buttery yellow and blue frame... Spring Bunting has been listed on Etsy. It's small, perfect for a shelf or table top, measuring in outer dimensions just 4.5 x 5.5inches.


Until next time, love the season you're in, have hope, and be kind!

What are you waiting for?

Each of us waits for something ... for that special partner, for spring... or summer or fall or winter, for a better job, for a few minutes of peace and quiet. The list is as varied as the colors in our world.

I seem to be longing for spring lately, although I think I might be happy with one more big snow. But after a weekend of sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50 and lower 60s, I definitely got a taste of spring fever. So this newest artistic creation speaks to that quiet longing for afternoons in the garden and morning walks in the woods surrounded by birdsong.

This piece, called Waiting for Calm, combines my love of birds with my passion for words and the visions they can create. The words were cut from magazines and catalogues and assembled, much like a ransom note (as my husband was heard to say), but their message is much sweeter than a ransom note.

Waiting for Calm

imagine a fresh summer dream
resonant with organic music
a voyage of soft
sweet, chiming
native sounds
blending true
floating
into the heart.

Find your calm, find your peace, share a song, and be kind to those around you.

Around the Corner

Those dog days of August are nearing an end. Temperatures here in Stokes County have been nice and cool during the night, and this morning I woke up to a refreshing 62 degrees. Ahhhhh. Our crabapple tree already thinks that autumn is here; it has dropped most of its leaves which lay in a golden puddle against the still green grass. And while I am not necessarily enjoying the dusk settling in earlier and earlier and the days becoming shorter, I am not missing at all the repressive heat that we experienced for the last couple of months.

Here are a few of my favorite pre-autumn finds on Etsy. As always, follow the links for a closer view.

I simply love this sweet acorn-adorned bowl by TinaFrancisDesigns...

One of my favorite Etsian artists, AmberAlexander, who showcases lots of animals...

One of my favorite jewelers, kathiroussel, showcasing a to-die-for necklace. For those who are vintage lovers Kathi also has a wonderful vintage shop...

Ver cool and earthy Twig Earrings by SwanRiverStone...

Love this scarf with all its lovely fringe by none other than Fringe...

Thick, luxurious washcloths or dishcloths by Easy123. I have some of her work in both my kitchen and bathroom, and I strongly recommend these cloths if you want to get away from commercially made cloths or sponges...

Aren't these the sweetest hair adornments ever? By littlebrownbird...

And of course there has to be a bird here... this sculptural bird in a box by lorinichols... LOVE it!!

And these wonderful felted acorns, which you can also see in the opening photo. I'll be purchasing more from fairyfolk to continue adorning my twigs for my autumn table decoration.

Enjoy the end of summer, spend time in your garden or walking through the park, sing loudly, and celebrate love!

Final Layers and Revisions

When you have several paintings going at the same time, you're bound to be excited by at least one or two of them, and if you're lucky, all of them! But you're also bound to finish them up, which is what I did today with four of mine; three of these were posted in yesterday's blog.

Carolina Wren got its final glaze of yellow and is now listed in my Etsy shop...


Leaves of Love became a very green painting...

The untitled 8 x 10 landscape received a colorful field of wildflowers and poppies and became Roadside Attraction, for sale in the Etsy shop...

And a new painting that I worked on late yesterday afternoon after being amazed at the wonderful clouds in the sky that have accompanied our stormy weather, this 12 x 12 is titled As the Crow Flies and it's for sale in the shop...

Bird and Poppies Won the EPE Challenge!

I'm happy to report this morning that my piano key scrimshaw pendant won the weekly EPE challenge with the theme of Recycling! Talk about good news! Each winner gets to come up with the next theme and then choose the winner from the entries. I chose Rebirth and Renewal, which seems to me to be wide open for all kinds of work. I know we'll get some fabulous entries... can't wait to see them.

If you haven't checked out the EPE blog yet, you really should. There are some wonderful weekly contributors, some extremely talented members, and it's a beautiful blog. Take the time to do it; you'll be glad you did. And of course... it's all about supporting those who struggle with cancer, so the cause is a good one as this dreadful disease affects so very many of us in one way or another.

And by the way, the prop in the photo of my pendant? It's a gorgeous little felted wool envelope made by GinnyHuber, an EPE team member. Her work is fabulous, and this is such a cool item that can hold jewelry when traveling, business cards, cash and credit card if you want to travel light, lipstick or other small makeup items, favorite buttons, anything really.

Fabulous Holiday Finds

Perhaps Tuesday's Treasures should become Wednesday's Wonders! The holidays and all the activities revolving around them are keeping all of us busy, and that's my excuse this week for not getting my favorite finds posted on time. So much going on, so much to do, so many things bumping up against each other in my brain... it's getting rather hectic!

And speaking of holidays... here are my five favorites for this week, all holiday items, though they would be lovely in your home, or on your ears, at any time of the year! As always, follow the links to check out the fabulous work of these incredible artists and sellers on Etsy.

Words of Wisdom star ornaments by zinniadesignstc

Beautiful holiday Holly Bell earrings by annaCsophia...

A rustic Star Ornament by arianaalysedesigns

A cozy Holiday Birds flannel pillow by allisajacobs...

And a lovely Red Bird glass ornament by katiediditglass...

There's still time to purchase a holiday gift from a seller on Etsy... but you better hurry! Until next week, remember to BUY HANDMADE, SHOP ETSY!

New Portrait Listings Coming Soon...

I hope everyone in the US enjoyed a festive Thanksgiving and appreciated time with family and friends! Christmas will soon be here... so hard for me to believe, but I've been doing a little shopping on Etsy this morning because I realize I just can't wait any longer!!!

I'll be heading out to the studio soon to get started on a new canvas, but before I do... here are a couple things soon to be listed on Etsy.

BLACK BEAUTY... Even grackles can be merry and bright! This is a 12 x 12 oil on canvas with edges painted.



I don't often paint people, but I will if I have in my hand a very clear photograph and a good description of the characteristics and personality of the subject. So I will list an item for a CUSTOM PORTRAIT with these as examples.

Mommy's Girl... 9 x 12


Wedding Day... 18 x 24


Music Man... 16 x 20


Child in Blue... 24 x 30


Happy weekend, and happy shopping, everyone!

Birds in Oil

Better to have the birds in oils on canvas than in spilled oil out on the sea and shore! They are much happier this way!

Here's my just-completed painting... still wet, but listed on Etsy this morning. Song in Blue is 12 x 12.

On gallery-wrapped canvas with 1 1/2 inch painted edges...

This photo was taken inside the studio on a gray day, using overhead lighting, similar to what you'd find in most homes. You can see the difference the lighting makes in the colors of the painting.


There are two more 12 x 12 canvases in process in the studio... one has bright, abstract background and will feature a raven or a grackle; the other is a silvery, winter scene with a smaller bird, perhaps a titmouse or a warbler. Stay tuned!

Tuesday's Treasures

Happy Tuesday, everybody! Here are five fabulous finds from Etsy!

Starting with this fabulous doll, Rosemary, who is part of a giveaway by The Ruby Nest


Next, a fabulous vintage bag from DejaVuDream...


A gorgeous, up close photograph by tasteslikepurple...


And a lovely, harvest-colored necklace by UnaOdd...


Finally, beautiful upcycled wool mittens by formydarling of Finland (my ancestors' home)...


Until next week, remember... shop handmade, shop Etsy!