Fall Inspirations

I've been MIA, but busy. I've had the chance to go to the great Pacific Northwest for a bit.  My parents needed a bit of help so I got to watch the leaves turn and fall there.  If you know and love my folks, call me and I'll give you an update. They would love calls also.

Besides beautiful trees I did find some design inspiration.  I couldn't resist ordering this partial set of little cards from a vintage game I found on Etsy.  

I adore graphics and images from the 1930's through 1950 and these are so up my alley.  The game was Animal Rummy, maybe from the '50's.

I scanned my favorites and as I'm posting them I realize they all have the same green background. Foxes are still "hot" so this one is right in style.

Geese were so overdone a few years ago but this one I adore.

This "Wise Owl" is in a tux!  Is that wise? Are formally dressed men smarter?  Love how it is cute but not too sweet.

This squirrel is my very favorite.  I've got some basic drawings in the sketch book inspired by him.  Can't you see some bookends?  Who wouldn't want a sassy squirrel guarding your favorite books.

Improvement Needed

My Esty shop has made me learn a lot of new things. I'm still learning to take photographs.  Confession:  I've never been the one that takes pictures.  I've tried, but I'm usually disappointed in the results.  I know what good photos look like and mine usually are just OK.  The BestLovedHubby, though, has always loved photography.  He credits Photography Club for keeping him in High School.  He had dark room equipment when we married.  Several years ago he got me to agree to buy the Sony DSC-P32 camera I'm using now.  When we bought it I thought we had no use for such a fancy (and what I thought then was expensive) camera.  Now I'm the one that thinks the camera is just not adequate. 

Canon G12

I've been lusting over this Canon G12.  After some research and advice from my photographer friends and the BLMiddle Boy (who takes pictures for a living). This seemed to be a good fit for me rather than an entry level SLR.  But, BL Hubbs and BL Middle Boy like to tell me that "it's the photographer, not the camera that makes good pictures".  My baby brother is proving this by producing fabulous pictures with all kinds of out dated film cameras. Since the coveted G12 is out of the budget for a while - I've been trying to improve my Etsy pics with what I've got.

I posted this new Red Riding Hood and the Wolf set with the following pictures:

I didn't think the pictures showed how really cute this set is.  I haven't been getting as many "hits" or "favorites" as I thought it should get and I thought it was the photos.  So, I've been reading my camera manual and everything I could get my hands on about taking shop pictures.  Here's the 2nd set.

I think it shows better.  I want people to see my darling wolf. Am I improving?

Piece de Resistance

While I painted several signs last weekend (including a giant ear of corn) the one that I worked on the most was a requested replacement for the Kelley Farm main entrance. Their old one had served well but was very faded and warping.  They needed one that would stay up year round and be relevant if they decide to do events in the spring and summer.

 

The sign also had to be two sided so twice the work.  I left it drying in our kids kitchen.  The weather turned very cold so I was always trying to get paint to dry.  Now it's hung!  

Lexington Corn Maze at Kelley Farms

Best Loved Hubby and I traveled again to Kentucky for the opening weekend of the Giant Corn Maze at Kelly Farms. and their pumpkin patch.   I also did some more sign painting.

The maze gets better every year and now that they have been at it for five years there was a lot more to enjoy. The picture above is part of the new Kids Zone.  First thing on the agenda was the back of this hay slide.  I painted a scarecrow sliding down a hay stack.   Kids loved it and (as hoped) lots of pictures were taken with the Kelley Farms name (and posted on their Facebook Page).  In addition to the slide the kids had a 2 acre corn maze of their own that had a winding path instead of a maze you could potentially get lost in.  There is also an area with huge tires partially buried that are for climbing and crawling in and tire swings.

I also repainted their photo face sign (or as me and the BLDIL call it - the Head in the Hole sign).

The old sign had faded badly.  As soon as I finished families were poking their  heads in the holes so they could be photo-ed as pumpkins and scarecrows.

The corn maze itself is 9 acres of fun, cut to resemble the beloved UK men's basketball coach, John Calipari.  Those Kentuckians LOVE their UK basketball and they got national coverage for immortalizing Coach Calipari in corn.

They have more farm fun than ever this year.  The sky walking goats are back.  They have a cute duck race where families man a hand pump to make a rubber duck race down rain gutters.  More games include a climbing wall of hay, plywood and ropes and Kentucky's favorite "Corn in the Hole".  Oh, and food.  Funnel cakes and other food make for a fun way to celebrate fall and bring home some pumpkins.

I was too busy painting to get some good pictures but hope to show you the masterpiece - their main farm sign - as soon as pictures are posted.

The Three Little Pigs are back in the store:

I'm still amazed that the BLHubby has such a specific idea of how the story should go.

He still thinks that I don't have the story correct.  He wants it to be VERY moralistic.  Be a hard worker and build a good brick house and you will be safe from the Big Bad Wolf.

And BLHubbs is really unsure about the girls.

In this set the piggies are sisters.  Why not?

Design Inspiration - More Scherenschnitte

I just love saying shear-n-SNIT- a. Though Scherenschnitte as practiced by an artist like Pamela Dalton makes work that is more folk or traditional in style there are artists that have made this very current.  Here's my wish list on Etsy.

Can We Shall We Valentines Laser Cut

This is done by the famous Robert Ryan or Mister Rob in London.  He sells prints or laser cut versions of his original paper cuts.

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Paper Cuts by Joe

This guy isn't that famous, yet. So his work is actually cut out by him.   He's got some over the top listings in his Etsy shop and lots of fun designs that are within reach.  I love that he suggests that this would be a great first anniversary gift as the traditional thing to get for your first anniversary is paper.

Get to Bed art print by Rural Pearl

I love the images Angie Pickman, aka Rural Pearl does even if they're prints of her paper cuts.  Lots of bird images that are sweet but a little edgy.


There is also an Etsy artist, Cindy Ferguson, I love who doesn't list a lot in her shop but has a blog where she GIVES you templates and tells you now to make some wonderful papercuts of your own.

Print with line from hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"

I don't have time for another medium but I could get into cutting paper.

A New Kid in Town - Tuxedo Edition

This addition to the Noah's Ark animals has been living in my sketch book for a while and now it's in the shop.

I have two  categories of animals - Small and Large. The small ones are all cut from one inch soft wood boards.  One inch stock is not really one inch thick but a little thinner. It's cut one inch thick from the log and then sanded or surfaced and as a result it's not quite one inch.

The Large animals are cut from two or more pieces of wood and then glued together.  The pieces are not the same, the animal has a left side and a right so it looks like it's been carved and is "3-D".  

Both are shaped by sanding and with a dremel tool to add more dimensionality.  The painting finishes the realistic effect.  This penguin is a "Small" animal.  I've got a few more small animals living in my sketch book and hopefully will get them made and into the shop soon.