Happy Monday all my Bloggy Friends! Here in Memphis we are enjoying another much needed gorgeous sunny day! It has rained so much lately that many of us were going a bit bonkers. Today, however, is a gorgeous fall day. The leaves are beautiful, the air is crisp and the sky is bright blue... My absolute favorite time of year is upon us and my energy level is fully charged and ready to go.

Here is what I have in the works:
1. A Facebook Fans Exclusive- become a Facebook Fan of The Painted Lady and receive an exclusive offer available only to fans! This is the first in a series of specials that I will be offering throughout the upcoming year.

2. Open House and Shopping Extavaganza- I have been working with my friend and jewelry designer Carole to plan our first annual (hopefully) Holiday Event. If you live in the Memphis area and would like the opportunity to shop for unique and handmade gifts, please email me for details. We will have 8 vendors, all of which specialize in a different genre. I will be posting details on all of our artists so stay tuned. November 12 is the big day!

Thank you loyal readers for your support while I have been so busy. One of these days I will get organized enough to post more regulary. Until then, hugs and happy painting!

Cool New Creations!

Well, I know I have been MIA for a while. Things have been crazy busy (thankfully). Since this is just a quick hello, I will just show you a few pictures of projects that have been keeping me busy as of late. Some have already sold, but I will be listing several of my new plaques and frames in my etsy shop.

Well on to some eye candy...

The plaques measure approximately 12"x12" on MDF and include all hanging hardware.



The frames are all constructed of post construction salvage from a cabinet factory here in Tennessee and vary in size.
Unfortunately the photo quality is not very good. Note to self: take the time to snap some photos outside on one of the rare sunny days we have been having around here!

My apologies for being such a stranger! I hope to post an article soon on ways to make a major impact in your decor without a major investment....

Hugs and happy painting!

Danger: Barefoot Painting

This is what happens when you decide to close a five gallon pail of
plaster by standing on it! I must admit I laughed so hard I almost
lost it! I guess I should be thankful I chose not to put on my brand
new tennis shoes since I was working in Che's office! Hope you get a
chuckle. Have you ever done anything like this?

Ufauxrea

What a whirlwind summer we have had here at The Painted Lady. I thought July was eventful, but so far it looks like August is going to be quite a whirlwind! For the first time since I started my business a year and a half ago, I am booked a month in advance! For decorative artists who have been in the business a while it is not unusual to be booked six or eight weeks out. But this is such a milestone for me! I have even had to arrange for a couple of helpers. Yes, I admit it... I am giddy with delight! Enough about me...

In July, Memphis was host the the annual IDAL convention. Founded in 1984, the International Decorative Artisans League (IDAL) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the art of stenciling and related decorative painting. Membership provides opportunities for artistic and professional growth through: education, certification, public awareness, and networking. Wow! It was awesome! I was able to meet some of the industry leaders I admire, take classes on some cool techniques and learn about a ton of new and "new to me" products available to decorative artisans. I played with products and came home with over 20 new sample boards!

I met so many amazingly talented individuals and found so much inspiration that I haven't been able to sleep. I plan on getting in the studio and playing around with some new finishes, but am struggling to find the time! There are so many ideas floating around in my head, yet I don't have time to make them. I promise that I will share all the creations from IDAL as soom as Che's camera comes back from being repaired.

Bloggy friends, I have missed you dearly... Stay tuned and I will share with you the latest trends for walls and my take on them!

gv

Retail Therapy and Power Tools!

What a crazy week it has been! Our house is a disaster since our hot water heater exploded last week and well, the kids are driving me crazy! Yes, I said it. It is that time of the summer when they fight and complain of boredom and generally make me want to run away and join the circus.

Seeing that I have no acrobatic skills, the circus is not really a viable option for me. So I did what any self respecting mom would do... Retail Therapy! Yep, I went shopping and looking for something to inspire me. Where did I go? Why HOB LOB of course. I saw the cutest frame literally as I was about to give up and go visit my friend "Margarita" across the street.

Some people call it a light bulb moment. In our house it is a "Phineas and Ferb" moment. If you know the show, then you know the line, "Ferb, I know what we're going to do today!". Yep, in the middle of HOB LOB I knew what I was going to do!

Drum roll please.......

I made my very own picture frame. It is a little off, but many would say that it's creator is too! Har de har har!

Anywhoo, I have had this idea in my mind for a while and couldn't quite figure out how to make it work without a router. Thank you to the frame made in China!

The photos make it look whiter than it actually is, but I love it. I used my favorite Melanie Royals stencil from Royal Design Studio. For those of you who are not familiar with Melanie Royals, you need to check her out! This woman is crazy talented! She is a faux finisher and also designs stencils and modellos. If you want some wonderful inspiration, check out her blog www.designamour.com and either of her websites above.

Well, this post has been much longer that intended and Che is on his way home so I gotta wrap it up. I've missed ya bloggy world and promise to keep you posted on the demolition and remodel of our little home in the burbs!

P.S. No time for spellcheck or grammar check so forgive all the errors!!!!!

Happy painting!