Christmas Cards

The last two years I've designed and painted our family Christmas card.  Be careful what you do for Christmas traditions, your family comes to expect it every year.  A little late, but I got something painted for our card, the cards printed, folded and then addressed.

I always think of something complicated for our card design.  I then rack my brain on how I should do it.  I then give up and do something quick that I end up loving a lot more.  My Christmas mantra should always be "SIMPLE".    Cards mailed - done!  Christmas is coming.

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 Secret of the Ages - Revealed

I've made a discovery - all by myself.  I've discovered the best thing in the world for removing paint build-up in my artist brushes. 

It is supposed to be for getting baked on grease off your pots and pans but presto!  It removes the build up of acrylic paint in the base of my paint brushes.  It really gets acrylic sealer out of the brush.  What possessed me to squirt some on a paint brush? Who knows.  I clean up my brushes in the kitchen sink and there it was. . . the rest is destiny. There are some brush cleaners at the art store but they are $10.00 a bottle.  This is $2.95. 

My use of kitchen cleaners for artist brushes probably says a lot about how I had little formal art training but lots of kitchen training.  No blame on anybody. That's just the way it was.

Defining the "Best Loved Child"

I've been lurking on a gorgeous decorating blog, Modern Country Style.  She lives in the Cotswolds area in England and has been renovating an Edwardian house in a style she calls Modern Country.  I want to fly across the pond, knock on her door and invite myself in.  Anything to sit in her swoon worthy kitchen.  She's doing a link party on defining what your blog is.  I've been putting some thought into what I want for Best Loved Child so I thought this would be a good time to "define my blog".

I started this to chronicle my design and construction process of Best Loved Child .  I thought I could post extra pictures of product in the shop and keep of record of my life as an independent craft person/artist.

Lately this has expanded to posts about art and design for specifically children and I will do more of this.  I want to share what inspires me and explore some ideas about why we (the collective we) design the kind of toys, clothes and decor we do for our sprouts.  Like this amazing corner.  

 

From Diaper Style Memoirs

I don't see myself as a "Mommy Blogger".  I'm no longer in the trenches of diapers and play dates, though being a Mom of 6 should give me a good background for relating to moms.  I think I'm more on the level of recording and sharing ideas I would love if I were the kid. 

So here's a big thanks to Sarah of Modern Country Style. Can I come sit in your kitchen?