Before and After

Before...(dirty, moldy, stinky frames with random numbers - don't try to make sense of it.)
and after...(simply brilliant, if I do say so myself.) I'm a firm believer that one woman's trash is another woman's treasure.

F.S.B.O.

Dream Home! Move-in ready. The work's already done. Lot's of updates. Charm around every corner!

Quit While You're A'head'

Here are a few new pieces. When I saw the shape of this plain brown varnished wood plaque at goodwill I immediately saw hair - and lots of it - and I just new I had to make it into a woman with a beehive-like 'do. So even though I am not the first to use this quote, the piece was pretty much screaming for it. I especially like her rosy cheeks, which gave me an excuse to try out my new box of pastels. Doesn't she just look like she's thinking heavenly thoughts?!I made this second piece from a sketch I did awhile back. I wanted the girl to look like she was half girl and half house. I don't know if I accomplished that or not. But the end result is ok anyway, although I'm not that happy with the bird in the heart. It was one of those deals where it didn't look quite finished because the heart was empty. So I thought to myself, well I'll just draw a little birdie in there. Then I drew it off center, so I tried to cover up the off centeredness by adding the stars for balance. And then that still didn't look right, so I contemplated what else I should do to liven it up, then realized maybe I'd better quit before it was totally ruined. Sometimes there's no turning back once you're committed. The key is knowing when to quit. Not sure if I quit at the right time or not. Oh well.

Soul Mates

Here's a new piece I finished for our upstairs bathroom. I needed something new to hang in there because a) I was getting tired of looking at the same ole stuff and b) the old picture fell off and broke. When I found this quote I thought to myself, this is me and my husband. Although we are very different, I feel like God made us for each other.

Celebrate Your Style!

My birthday was about a month ago and I wanted to show you what my very talented mom made me for a present. It is a box with a sliding lid, which so far has remained empty. (It was filled with funky socks when I got it!) For now it is enough to just look at it. I have it sitting in my work room where I can see it all the time.

Another Birthday Blog!

Here I am with my birthday crown on. It's from work today. At the preschool where I teach art the kids wear a birthday crown on their birthday, so they gave me one and the kids sat in a circle around me and sang Happy Birthday to me. The kids affectionately call me Grandma Berends. It was a sweet sweet time. In this photo I am holding my present from my hubby which my daughters are going to be jealous of, I'm sure. It's a new framing gun. They are constantly borrowing mine - it keeps circulating around the 3 of us - and when someone needs it, it's a game of seek and find. I am not sure if this one will go out on loan or not. ha! gotta think about it!!! aw, geez, ok, guess they know what's mine is theirs. I am so blessed, you might think this is not a very personal gift , but that guy has gotten to know me pretty good, and I appreciate him so much!!!

Before and After

You know how you get so used to looking at something, that you don't really even see it anymore? Well that's what happened here. Then one day I really started looking at it again. Afterall, it is hanging smack dab in the middle of my living room and it is over 3 feet wide. It's bound to catch my attention sooner or later. I think I first began to take notice the day that the bottom right daisy fell off. And when I took a good look at everything, I was more than a little embarassed. So embarassed that I almost couldn't bring myself to show you the before shots. But I'm all about keeping it real and you all need to know that I'm not as perfect as I may appear. :) So I swallowed my pride and gave you two lovely before shots. After I first took my blinders off, I'd stand in front of it almost every day and sigh, thinking to myself that the frame was definitely reusable, but that the rest HAD TO GO. I mean really, what had I been thinking in the first place?! Ah, I was young and naive (artistic skill-wise anyways.) Two months (ok, three months) later I was finally ready to take the plunge. (And yes, it hung daisy-less for that long.) Here is the final result:

My life is now complete.

(I was kidding about the being perfect thing.)

Youngest Thing with Wings

I am hereby officially asking Emily to contribute to this blog. She is the youngest of our family of women and God has made her a creative being as well. I know she is a "thing with wings"!!! Let's hear from you, EmmySue Francy Girl!

Hopes and Dreams

When I saw this metal thing at a second-hand houseware store, I immediately saw this:

Yes, this fish has legs, (or at least dreams that she does.) And no, I do not believe in Darwin's bogus theory of evolution.

Remember These Frames?

Remember these frames that I showed you awhile back?

Here's what they transformed into:

This one is my favorite:
Amazing what a little paint can do.

Some new "creative works."

duh . . . . huh?

HELP!!!! LAURA!!!!! JILL!!!!! EMILY - if you weren't so darn far away, it would be YOU!!!!
I am a hopeless helpless dimwit. (although I may not be bad looking and I am funny as all get out) . . . . . .
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

I Know I said No More Birds, But...

green, blue, (Laura????)

It must be colored finger day. Mine is blue and it's my index finger. mostly. Art's happening! YES! Check this blog again VERY soon!