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Grib’s Gallery, A Hidden Gem

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 Spring teaser.  Today was a beautiful Spring day and a welcome change from all of the cold (38-45 degree weather). It was the perfect day to take a drive through the rural, small towns of scenic Carroll County. I packed up my paintings and headed over to Grib’s Gallery (208 Main Street, New Windsor, MD) to deliver them for the upcoming exhibit.   Grib’s Gallery is one of those local hidden gems. The gallery is owned by Sharon Gribbin-Lindeman. Sharon, an artist herself, features artwork from local artists. My daughter, Brittany, who loves going to local galleries was very impressed with Grib’s Gallery. The gallery is well lit and the arrangement of paintings is aesthetically pleasing. In addition to paintings there are also other pieces like sculptures and pottery. If you are within driving distance of New Windsor, Maryland, Grib’s Gallery is a definitely worth the trip.  I should also mention that the Reflect and Remember exhibit in October will coincide with ...
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Beware the Ides of March!

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 When my daughter was in high school I would send her off to school with a quote. Her literature class was reading Julius Cesar so I sent her off on March 15 with “Beware the Ides of March.”  She laughed as she grabbed her books and headed out the door. Ever since then no matter where she was I would call her and remind her to Beware the Ides of March. We would both start laughing because she couldn’t believe that I kept this going on so long. Last year I had intended to send her a card. Some how creativity got the better of me and the project morphed into a canvas.  Beware the Ides of March!                                                                                                            
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Recycled Photo Album

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 While I was shopping for some new pieces to update my wardrobe I noticed the store was offering a free gift with a qualifying purchase. The store manager informed me that I qualified for the free gift. She offered me a choice of photo albums. I didn’t want or need them but the manager was so happy that I qualified for the gift that I didn’t want to make her feel bad by refusing it. I accepted the album and headed home.  Original freebie albums.  The photo album was fairly nice quality although the cover was an ugly shade of dark green with large embossed flowers. I felt bad throwing a perfectly good album in the trash and offered it to family members but no one wanted the album in its current state.  I had wanted to do a makeover project and this seemed like a good candidate. The only problem was that deeply embossed flowers covered most of the front cover.  I covered the entire album with gesso. The gesso soaked into the embossed areas but didn’t cover them up...
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Remembrance of Projects Past

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From time to time I will be featuring past projects.  Some of these items have made their way into our home decor and others sadly have been tucked away in a tote in the basement.   When I started quilting my kids wanted me to make them each a quilt.  I found Debbie Mum’s Bowsers and Meowsers book at a local quilt shop and decided to make them each a wall hanging to hang over their beds. Brittany chose the cat quilt and Michelle chose the dogs. We used the  same fabrics in each quilt so the color scheme would match.  Instead of fabric I chose plain black buttons for the dog’s and cat’s eyes. The pattern booklet was published in 1996 but copies can still be found on Amazon and e-Bay.  Both patterns are beginner friendly and go together quickly. This was my second quilt project.                    This was the easier of the two quilts.                     ...
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Chat Noir Chalkboard Sign

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It’s no secret that I love Chat Noir! There’s just something intriguing about him, maybe it’s his mysterious air or those deep yellow eyes. Who knows? In any case he works well in a lot of different art projects.  When I saw this chalkboard sign my first inclination was to pass on it because I don’t find chalkboard sign projects very inspiring.  The carving on the sign was beautiful and the subtle grey color gave the piece depth and character so I put it in my cart although I had no idea how I would use it.  Since the carvings on the sign reminded me of 18th century French architectural carvings the piece should have a French theme.  All of the embellishments used to create this sign reminded me of France-Chat Noir, lavender flowers and of course the Eiffel Tower.                            Finished sign.                          ...
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Speedy Recovery Card

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  When I have a creative block or just need to take a break while my oil painting dries I like to make cards. They are so much fun to make. I usually start with a theme and then ad lib as I go along.  This card started with a speedy recovery theme. Next I cut a car, bunny, trees, sign and clouds using Tim Holtz dies. I drew a horizon line with pencil on white card stock and applied blue distress ink to create the sky. The grass is cut from green patterned paper. For the road I cut a strip of black card stock and applied gold washi tape for the center line. The bunny, clouds and sign were cut from white card stock. The trees were cut from light and dark green card stock and the tree trunks and sign post were cut from scraps of brown card stock. Then I used my Silhouette Cameo 4 to cut the heart shaped balloons from pieces of purple, pink and dark turquoise card stock. I used coordinating distress ink to shade the balloons. 
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Brrr!!! Baby it’s Cold Outride

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 What happened to my yard? I’m feeling just a little boxed in. I have the best Dad in the world. He plowed paths in the yard for me. I really appreciate this because the snow is up to my neck and that makes it a little hard for me to find a spot. My Mom bought me this cool red snowsuit to keep me warm. She complains that the snowsuit keeps me so warm that I don’t want to come back inside.  She’s so funny.                                          Helping Dad clear the driveway.  Love my Yorkie tracks                 
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