Sammy's Letter

I painted this Aly's Room original design on a vintage sewing drawer 2 or 3 years ago.  I thought I had posted it here on my blog but I searched and couldn't find it so I thought I would share it with my followers (perhaps again).  

I love this design! Sammy has a wish list for Christmas. What does he want, cheese of course. 

I've had fun looking through some of my older patterns and a few of them I've set aside to paint again, like Sammy's Letter.  I sold this finished piece in my Etsy shoppe and would love to have one for myself.  So, sometime this season I hope to paint it again.  I have a wooden tool box that it would be perfect on.

Till next time,

~willa~

Snowman Wine Bottle

I love painting on wine bottles, and this simply designed snowman was fun to do.  The top hat is made out of black felt and the small snowman at the top is the cork from the bottle.  He will be so cute sitting on my kitchen window sill.

I have the day off so I'm enjoying a day of painting and talking with a good friend.

I am painting a bread board and a tray.  It is easier painting 2 pieces at one time when I'm using the same colors. There's a few more things waiting in my studio for their time on the table.


Till next time

~willa~

Child's Shoe Mold

I love this little sprite's shoe mold.  I found it in one of my favorite antique shops a few years ago.  I've put off painting on it because it appears to be a hand crafted shoe form and I couldn't bear to cover up the tool marks on it. But, I realized I'm hiding it away and not using it so why not paint it so I will put it out on display.  I so hope this sweet little piece will be a family heirloom.This is an Aly's Room original design, I tweaked it a bit so it would fit on this small piece. 

As I painted this sweet little shoe form I must admit my mind drifted to the possible stories that might be attached to it.  I wondered how many shoes had been crafted from this mold?  What children had been the beneficiary of a pair of dress shoes or play shoes from its humble cravings? Had a dad sat up after his children went to bed and craved this piece and possibly stayed up other nights to design their shoes?  Had the children perhaps watched and added their input to the way they wanted the shoes designed? I feel so fortunate to have found little small piece of history.

Till next time

~willa~

Ginger Thyme Bread Board

I love gingerbread people!  They are such whimsical characters and they put a smile on my face.  Unlike snowmen they can add a whimsical touch for decorating through out the year.  This ginger gal is a design by Terrye French;  it's one of her older designs that I found while I was digging through all my "stuff" for an inspirational piece for this bread board.  I knew it was  perfect when I didn't need to resize it or tweak it to fit this piece.

I love this size bread board, it's narrow and long, great for a corner or an area that is small.  I painted this piece while I was on a R&R trip to Virginia Beach with my Sweetie.  My Mr ended up with strep throat and didn't feel like doing much other than sleeping so I took the time to paint as much as possible until I ended up with a sore throat and headache myself .  Yep, he shared his strep throat with me. That was back before Thanksgiving and that icky strep throat is long gone; I hope it stays away!  I've had strep 3 or 4 times in the past year.   

I'm currently working on some more painted wine bottles, another bread board and a sewing drawer.  I don't know what it is about this time of year that puts me in this painting mood but whatever it is...I like it! I also have a large cabinet door that I want to paint as a chalk board.  So many projects and so little time.

Thanks for taking a peek at my little ginger gal.

Till next time

~willa~

Snow Flake Catchers

I have told this story so many times.....but here it goes again!  I've had this kerosene can sitting  "near" my studio table for at least 3 years. You may be asking why do I wait sooooo long to paint on an item once I bring it home.  I often ask myself that question too and the answer goes back to what I've stated here before that I wait until the item "speaks" to me.  Yep, that sound crazy I know but there is a method to my madness.  I see an item I like in a vintage or thrift store, I study it and sometimes I know what I will paint on it and sometimes I don't.  If I don't know what I will paint on it, that doesn't mean I sit it down and move on; often I like the piece and know I will find something to paint on it.  Plus it "begs" to go home with me.  Yep, I'm nuts!  Ok...moving on.

For this kerosene can, none of the patterns I have made me yearn to paint their whimsical charms on this piece.  So, in October I sat the can in front of me and studied it.  I took out a pencil and paper and began to sketch a whimical design that I wanted on the can.  Before my coffee was cold I had the design I wanted.  I love creative moments like these.

I must admit as I sketched I wondered about the can.  Who owned it, did they use it to fill a kerosene heater that warmed their home on winter days like these.  It has a small dent on the back side of it, how did that happen?  I wondered if the previous owners would be surprised that I painted a wintry design on it. I love musing like this.  Things have a history and I enjoy wondering about where these items have been and who owned them. 

Thanks for stopping by, I always enjoy vistors to my little place here in the vastness of cypberspace.

Till next time....

~willa~

Ginger Thyme Bottle

Another painted wine bottle.  By now, you guys must think that I'm a total wine-bibber with all these painted wine bottles!  Well, the answer is a big no.  I've been collecting wine bottles for a while, hoping that one day I would use them.  I've admired the lighted wines bottles that have been a rage for the past few years but that really wasn't my "thing".  I'm a painter so of course I want to paint on them but they were not at the top of the list of items I had on my table to paint.  Then one day I finally painted one and I've been hooked on painting them ever since.

This is an Aly's Room orginial. I laid it out on paper before I painted it, unlike the other 2 bottles I have painted freehand.  I love gingers and hopefully will be working more with them. 

I've added a prim tag, a salt dough ginger and homespun fabric.

Can you believe it's almost Christmas? I'm still shaking my head wondering where the year has gone.  I'm simply not ready for Christmas, at least not mentally.  My Sweetie has been doing most of the Christmas shopping; of course it's been cyber shopping but shopping is shopping in my book. Looks like "we" are almost finished with "our" Christmas shopping!  Wow! I gotta say, "I'm liking this!".  I have some items to buy for my Handsome but he's even done a little of "his" shopping by putting the items he wants on an online wish list!! All I have to do is go move the items from the wish list to the shopping cart, click the buy button and I'm done!  Why didn't "we" think of this for the past 5 years?

With all that said, I guess I know what I'm getting for Christmas...no surprises there but my Sweetie does usually try to get at least one item that will be a surprise. 

One item I'm getting is a camera.  I'm thrilled about it!  Last year I had no idea what I wanted but this year I knew I wanted a camera.  For the past 3 years I have been using my sons camera, I'm sure he's ready to get it back. My last camera was a dud!  I don't know if I hit the camera and knocked the lens out of whack because it took crooked photos.  I would always have to tip the camera one way or the other in order to get a straight photo....it was frustrating. 


























Thanks for taking a peek. 

Till next time.

Painted Wine Bottle

I've recently finished painting another wine bottle. This bottle is painted with another Aly's Room original. Like the one before it, I simply picked up the brush and started painting, designing it as I went.  Like I stated before, this type of painting is liberating.  Well, painting should feel liberating anyway.  Most people think it is complicated but honestly, it so so simple!  I can hear you thinking...."she must be crazy".  For me, I see painting this way.

1) base coat.  That simply means to fill in and block in the colors where they go,  like coloring in a coloring book and staying in the lines.  Easy so far...right?

2) shade.  I usually shade around everything so it gives some dimension. Included in shading is also hi-lighting.  Hi-lighting is usually done with a light color and scrubbed into an area with a "scruffy" brush. With hi-lighting, a little goes a long way. Incidentally, you can find videos on how to shade and hi-light that are informative and easy to follow. 













3) add the details.  This looks like the hard part but it's not.  Details are things like lines on a scarf or eyes, nose and mouth on a snowman. Snowflakes or stasrs....; the finishing touches that give a painted piece some interest and bring it to life.  Keep in mind that most of these things that are added will probably also be shaded or highlighted.

That's basically it.  The greatest fear in painting is messing up and if you do, just paint over it. I have found that some of my mistakes have turned out to be an asset if  I work them into the piece...but that part does come with some experience.  Why not pick up a paint brush and give it a try.  There are lots of great artist out there who sell easy to follow patterns.

I'm also in the process of painting a ginger gal on a wine bottle.  I actually designed this one on paper and will be posting it once I have the copyright. I also have an ice skate that is waiting on my studio table for its turn to be to become a treasure. Oh to have the time to do it all!

Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway.  Click the giveaway icon on the right side bar and follow the rules on the post.

Till next time.

~willa~

Unfinished Business.

Have you ever started something and never finished it?  Come on, fess up, you know you have.  We've all done it. I've started several blog posts and they are still sitting in my save box as a 'draft' post. They have titles and a few sentences but for one reason or another I never finished and hit the publish key.  One day I will go back and finish them....maybe. There are other items I have left unfinished. There are a couple of things sitting on my studio table that I started painting but never finished.  They are  unfinished business at this point.  I don't know if I lost direction on what to do with them or maybe I lost interest because the season for them had come and gone.  Sometimes it's because I am stuck on what to do with them; maybe what colors I should use. Whatever the reasons that be, they are still sitting there waiting to be finished. I have to admit at this point I don't want to finish them; and, the thought of having to is like the overwheming urge to run when you know you are going to have to take a big spoon full of yucky medicine.

This cedar box is one example.  I started a Christmas painting on a it couple of years ago but never finished it.  I simply lost interest because I was inspired to start something else.  So, this box found its way to a shelve behind my table. I had good intentions of finishing it sooner but I took a break from everything related to painting and blogging and it continue to sit there and taunt me with its
unfinished message.

Since I've been re-energized to create and paint, I have finally heard it's unfinished message screaming at me. I took it off the shelf, considered the 'unfinished' painting on it and realized I didn't want to finish that unfinished business.  I came up with a new idea and suddenly unfinished business turned into a new inspiration.

Jacz was my inspiration; I've enjoyed painting him this season, he is such a happy character and makes me smile.  I painted him, and a couple of friends, on this box and I'm quite happy with the result. It feels liberating to finish this unfinished business.  Now, I can move on to something new.

How about you? Do you have unfinished business that needs to be completed?  Why not get it done and enjoy freedom from it screaming at you. Trust me, it will be like a breath of freshness when it's no longer unfinished business!

Till Next Time

~willa~

LeT iT sNoW

I've enjoyed reading many of the autumn blog posts  and looking through their beautiful fall photos.  It  seems like fall suddenly came upon us even though it has taken all summer to get here.

So why does my blog post title say "Let it Snow" rather than "Autumn's Finery? Well one reason is earlier this week we saw snow a little north east of us...In October!  also, it's because I recently finished painting this bread board. I know I've said it here time and time again that I enjoy painting on bread boards, I think it's because they are easy to prime and patterns fit easily on them. When I'm anxious to finish a project it goes much faster if I'm not spending time priming the surface and trying to arrange how the design will go on the project.

I rusted my own jingle bells, they are easy to do and I like having the option of having different sizes in stock to use.  

I've heard that it is going to be a snowy, cold winter but I've also heard it's going to be another mild winter here in Northern VA. If all the acorns that have fallen onto my lawn are indicators, well, I have to agree with the group that's predicting cold and snowy. I love snow but prefer it in inches rather than feet, unless I can stay home in front of the fire and paint...of course!

Till Next Time

~willa~

I've Been Inspired.

A few weeks ago I wrote a post on "Pleeeze Inspire Me".  I finally have painted a few items....looks like I have been inspired.

I shared a couple of my finished projects with you in the past week or so and now here's another.

I found this kerosene can in one of my favorite vintage stores.  I've had it for a couple of years and for one reason or another kept passing it by when I would riffle through all of my paint-able goodies looking for something to work on. I finally pulled it off the shelf, looked through my stash of patterns and put the two together.  I think they made a great duo. As always it was a fun project to paint.   This is a design by Terrye French.

I think there is a process to selecting something to paint on, at least for me. Most times it goes like this:

I go to my favorite vintage/antique or thrift store to take a look around.  I don't really have anything in mind, I'm simply looking for something that will strike my fancy.  I take my time looking high and low since experience has proven that some of my best "finds" are hiding and not in plain sight.  I pick items up look them over (honestly, I am scrutinizing them), put them back on the shelf and continue my search. I generally keep those items in mind as I continue to browse.  Some days I walk out with  tons (well, that's a little exaggeration) of stuff and some days, I leave empty handed.  And sometimes, I can't get an item out of my mind so I make a mad dash back to the store the next day to purchase it, hoping and praying the whole way that it's not already sold.  That's the first step.

 Next, once I get home I lay out my treasures so I can see everything and I usually will leave them out for a few days while I think about the goodies and what they "might" become.  When I've decided on a couple of things I put everything else into my little storage area where they will patiently wait for their turn. Often while I am in the process of painting I will be thinking about those items and will often go take another one or two of them off the shelf and sit them on my studio table where I can study them more.

Lastly, I fit a design with a project.  That usually happens while I have the item sitting on my studio table.  After it has sat there for a while...sometimes even months, I finally see the finished product...well, not in reality but in my minds eye. I will fit the design to the project by tweaking the design, sometimes by removing part of the original design or by adding something different.

Regardless of how it all happens, the part I enjoy most is....painting it...of course.

Till Next Time

~willa~

Snow Blessings

Hand painted by The Old Cupboard Door: Design by Terry French

Just a month ago it was so hot snow was unthinkable but the temps have been cooling in our area and snow seems to be inching closer to reality. I can't believe I've actually mentioned the "S" word! For those who don't like S N O W please don't panic, it will be a few more weeks before the white stuff actually starts to fly, well in most areas.

I love this design by Terrye French, it is so adorable and was a fun design to paint.  I have painted it on a bread board, which fit it perfectly, I didn't have to resize or tweak any areas...love that!

Hand painted by The Old Cupboard Door: Design by Terrye French

I've added a tag, a snowman on a round tag, a salt dough snowflake and tied it all together with a piece of burlap and homespun.  What a great item for a winter kitchen.

Hand painted by The Old Cupboard Door: Design by Terrye French

It was a hot, hot summer in Northern VA this year.  Not only was it hot but it was also humid, not a great combination in my opinion.  The humidity must have been great for my veggie garden because it thrived beautifully.  We had plenty of green beans and tomatoes.  We had some cherry tomatoes that were volunteers from last summer.  Next year we need to enlarge our garden and plant more.  We've "put up" green beans and tomato sauce for the winter months, yum!  Next on our agenda is to make a trip to the local orchard for some apples.  We love apple butter and dried apples.  It's been a while since we've made some apple sauce, hopefully we will have time to make this favorite too.

Til next time

~willa~

Pumpkin Pancakes

One of  my favourite pancakes to make are pumpkin pancakes so I simply could not resist this pattern at Terrye Frenche's "Painting with Friends".  My sweetie and I make pumpkin pancakes this time of year and cook up a batch of apple cider syrup to go with them.  Yummmm...delcious! Isn't this a perfect piece to add to the kitchen decor for Autumn Thyme?  My daughter in law has asked me to paint her one once their kitchen remodel is finished.  I had so much fun painting this one, well, I simply might start her's before their remodel is done.


I painted this Pumpkin Pancake design on a round noodle board that I cut from 1 inch pine.  I've added a tag and a key then tied it all together with a piece of homespun and burlap.  This was such a fun design to paint.

My Etsy shoppe has been on vacation for quite a while.  With my work schedule it's been hard to find time to paint and keep the shoppe stocked with 8 - 10 items. I've been considering a selling blog and have one in the making. It will be called "The Old Rustic Cupboard" and will be opening within the next week.  I've cut out several bread boards and noodle boards, plus I have coffee pots, tea kettles and other items I need to clear out of my basement; they will be items I will be painting and adding to my selling blog. At least that is my plan.

This bread board is 26.95 plus 9.50 shipping; if you are interested in purchasing this bread board email me at theoldcupboarddoor@yahoo.com. Please add Pumpkin Pancakes in the subject line.


Hope everyone is having a good week.

~willa~

January Giveaway.

Hi Blogger Friends:


I finally have my January giveaway item finished...Whew! and yay-whoo! You know how much I love bread boards and painting on them. I scrounged around through all my vintage lovelies to see if I had a fine looking breadboard to paint on but the only one I had was a short board that really didn't fit the bill I was looking for. So, what's a girl to do? Why pull out her handy dandy band saw and cut one out...of course. That's exactly what I did, I traced out a pattern on a piece of pine and cut out what I wanted.

I painted a spring design on this board. It's a design by Terrye French and I have taken a little license with it so it would fit on my board. I added a vintage cookie cutter, a rusty jingle bell, a prim tag and tied it all together with a strip of burlap. There is something about bunnies that speak spring to me. This gal looks like she is walking through a field of lavender, maybe collecting some bees for her bee keep. Of course she has invited her friend Sheep along. I just love this design which means you will probably be seeing a few more items with this sweet design painted on them. Ok, let's get to the business end of this giveaway. If you wish to participate in the giveaway please follow the rules below.

To qualify for this giveaway you must:

**be a follower of my blog

**be a US or Canadian resident

**leave a comment on this post

**If you do not have a blog please add your email addie to your post.

That's it. However, I would so appreciate if you blog about this giveaway, add to your blog sidebar and/or tweet or facebook. This giveaway ends 1/28/12 and a name will be drawn and posted on that date. Thanks to all who enter and good luck.

Til next time

~willa~

The Magic of First Snowfall.

I know many of you have already had a first snowfall of the season and rather forget it and certainly you don't look forward to the next one. But for me, there is something magical about snowfall, especially the first one of the season. But, regardless if it's the first one or not, I love the feeling that the snow brings; a sense of quietness and a peacefulness;a cleanness that reaches down to the soul. A white blanket of snow that covers the landscape softly whispers "slow down and enjoy this moment". Oh my, now I am pining for some snow!

This breadboard was painted with a scene that depicts the magic of the first snowfall. It's a Terrye French design but I have added my own touches so it would fit on this board. I added a burlap tie, snowflake jingle bell and finished it with a prim tag. Click on the photo for a closer view. You know I love bread boards and I love snowmen, what a great combination. When you receive your first snowfall or second snowfall of the season, I hope it is magical! Slow down and enjoy the quiet moment that it brings.

Til next time....

~willa~

Sweet Peppermint Wynter

I've had this metal container sitting on my studio table for a couple of months. I've had it so long I can't remember where or when I purchased it. It's an unusual container; it has the spout of a coffee pot but the handle of a water can. Is it a coffee pot or is it a water can. Maybe it's momma was a coffee pot and it's daddy a water can. Hey, your guess is as good as mine. It sat on my table patiently waiting for its turn to be tickled by my brush. Most of the time when I buy something I have no idea what I will paint on it. That's the reason things will sit on my table for a month or two. Finally, I will know what I want to put on it. Sometimes it's a work in action, it kinda comes together step by step. That's how this piece was.

First, I knew I wanted a peppermint theme. The snowman make-do I recently made as a giveaway inspired the snowman in this piece, with his peppermint neck. I love groups of snowmen so hence the 3 small snowmen in a cart...and I love carts with big wheels. Little prim trees in the landscape, well, that is a no-brainer; easy and simple to do. BTW, those trees go around this piece so if it is sitting where all sides can be seen, well then, it all looks pretty; no empty spots ( I don't like seeing empty spots on my pieces. More work but bigger satisfaction). The "not a coffee pot" handle is painted in candy cane fashion.

What's inside? I used some moss with winter red berries and some snowflakes. I added some peppermint rounds made from wood, a whimsical snowman make-do with his skinny tall stove pipe hat and a cinnamon snowflake. I added some homespun fabric and completed it with a prim tag. I've put this arrangement in my Etsy shoppe. You can reach my Etsy Shoppe by clicking the icon, on the left, that says "The Old Cupboard Door on Etsy".

Thanks for stopping by my place.

Til next time....

~willa~

Frosty and Friend

I love this design by Terrye French, it's one of my favorites. I painted it last year on a box I had found at a thrift store. After adding this desgin I filled the box with wynter greens and some snowman pokes. Anyway, I thought Terrye's design would make a great addtion to one of my "old cupboard doors". As, always I love how the door has framed this piece. I enjoyed doing this project from start to finish. You can bet your red bloomers that I will be on the look out for anything else this design will fit on.

This piece will be going in my Etsy shoppe later today. First, I gotta head off to work before I'm late.

Til next time.....

~willa~

My Bigheaded Snowman

This fella makes me smile! Do you remember when you were a kid and went out after a snow to make a snowman (or snowwoman)? Remember rolling the snow into separate balls to form the body. Once you got it put together and stepped back to admire your handiwork; did the head look bigger than it should? Mine always did. My snowmen usually had a case of the bighead. Well this is what happend to this snowfella. I rolled and rolled the head in magical snowflakes and whaaa-laaah, look how it turned out. I don't know, there is something adorable about this bigheaded fella. I used a candle stick for the base. I've had that candle stick for years. I think it even traveled to Guam with me..yup, we've been together for a long time. I recently ran across it while I was looking for something else. Isn't that always the case? If you can't find something when you are looking for it, you can almost quarantee that you will find it later when you are looking for something else.

I orginally wanted to leave him simply with his big head on the candle stick, put a tie around his skinny neck and a hat with a few this and thats attached to his big ol head. But he looked so skinny, like he hadn't had enough bowls of snowflakes so I put a primmed-up chenille coat on him to beef him up. I added a cinnamon salt dough snowflake to his coat along with a jingle bell. To finish him off I topped his big ol head with a tall stove pipe hat adorned with a few this and thats and attached a prim tag to him. He's been dusted well with fairy snow dust (watch out he might start to laugh and dance around); I then added him to my Etsy shoppe where Donna of Countercrafts snatched him up. So he's going to live with her and make her smile....I hope.

Well, that's the tale of the big-headed snowman. He might be big-headed but he still looks humble.

Til next time.

~willa~

Finally Added Some Things to My Etsy Shoppe

I know, I can't believe it myself. It's been a while since I added some things to my shop, I was beginning to wonder if I should close it. During the spring and summer I was in a painting funk; perhaps it was because I was out of town most of those seasons. Regardless, I have been spending quite a bit of time in my studio, painting to my hearts content. Here are a couple of samplings of things I have painted and added to my shop

I have had this vintage sifter for a couple of years. I knew when I saw this Terrye French design it was destiny....at least for the sifter. I took a little license with the pattern in order to make it work for the sifter. I added these darling peppermint snowmen completely around the sifter. You gotta love it when a plan comes together.

I love painting on bread boards, maybe it's their character with all their knicks and cuts, their well worn surface, evidence that they were well used in a home. This board was painted with a Terrye French design. I also have added a couple of other snowmen make dos to my shop. I'm currently painting a door for the shop so keep a look out for that. I enjoy painting autumn and winter projects.

Recently I started wondering why do I always wait until those seasons to start painting them? Why not work on them all year long? Well, why not? Since there is absolutely no reason why not...I will be starting on fall and winter items in January. Thanks to all who have signed up for my snowman make do give away. I look forward to giving him to a new home.


Til next time.

A piece of this and a piece of that.....

This is Tricks, he's a halloween ornament I made from scraps. Don't you love something you can make using up small bits and pieces of materials you have laying around from other projects? I do. Trick's head is a wooden ball; I made his hat from small pieces of left over black felt; and of course the rest of the emblishments are pieces from other stuff as well. He's a perfect size to be tucked in among the other onaments on a tree; that "just right size" when other things are to big to fit. He's found a new home with Robin of The Cranky Crow. He's probably keeping Jacz company.

This is a tutorial I did last year using the same materials as the halloween ornament, with different colors and some different emblishments. They are fun and easy to make.  You can find the tutorial listed here.

http://www.theoldcupboarddoorblog.com/2010/12/snowman-ornie-tutorial.html