One Day Left

Hi everyone!

Just posting a reminder that the 50% off sale ends Sunday night at midnight.

Here's the deal:

I'm having a HALF OFF SALE of everything in my 2 Etsy shops:
Honeysuckle Lane
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HoneysuckleLane
and
Simple Joys Paperie
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpleJoysPaperie

Just use this code during Etsy's checkout: HALFOFFJULY2011

This discount is valid through July 31st.
ANYthing and EVERYthing you purchase is 50% off!
This includes

wreaths

cuffs

soldered charms

paperweights

folk art

 

snowfolk

puncushions

 and much more!

27 years today {updated}

Roger and I have been married 27 years. Wow, 27 years. When I type that out, it seems like such a long time. Three children, four houses, several cars, trucks, jeeps, a mini van, a station wagon and back to a car and a truck, many family pets, elementary school, high school, college {and more college}, job changes, relocation from one county to another, family births... and family deaths... old friends, new friends, heartaches and joys, reminiscing about the past and dreaming of the future --- so much condensed into what now seems like such a short time.

{I was going to post more photos, but it was a struggle to get blogger to finally upload these two photos}

It's a simple thing really. I love him and he loves me ... sounds naive, but that's what matters. What do you have if you don't have love?

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13


I hope all of you have a blessed weekend ~
Lana

~*~

{update}

Ok, blogger is finally letting me post more photos {which I may regret} but here we are today ~ actually here we are last December 2010. I don't have many photos of us together since I am the one always with the camera.

I was working on watercolors today and the front door opened. I thought Roger was at work. Turns out he finished the job early and came home with these:

Aren't they beautiful? I wasn't expecting flowers. We usually don't do anything for our anniversary as far as gifts or flowers, but sometimes we try to get away for a few days. It just wasn't possible to go anywhere this year.

Roger was working on the job site and I was working at home, but he came home early and surprised me!

And he remembered that I prefer a mixed bouquet of flowers as if just picked from the garden...

Did I mention that I LxoOxoVxoE him? :)

Feeling Fallish

I know, I know, it's still July, but a girl can dream, can't she? It's been so hot and humid and I {along with many more of you I'm sure} am ready for the crisp, clear air that fall brings. I'm trying to walk several days a week and although I am up to 3.5 miles, it will be so much easier when it cools off.

I'll be joining the TDIPT Mercantile again on August 1st and have some autumn inspired folk art pieces to be offered then. I have a long list of things to make for fall decor and thankfully working on fall things takes my mind off the hot weather. For now, I'm giving you a little peek of just a few items...

Tomorrow's my 27th wedding anniversary and guess what I'll be doing??? Canning Freezing green beans (it's too hot to can them)! Oh well, at least I'm carrying on the tradition.

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~

Peanut Butter Smooshies

I'll admit, I am not a great cook. My mom was a great cook, but I just never had an interest in cooking and baking. I can cook, I cook daily, my meals are edible, and my family isn't starving, but I don't consider myself a great cook. Some of my dishes turn out great, but I am still not a great cook. Does that make sense? Most of what I make is from scratch or from memory of having learned it long ago and from having made it over and over and over. I suppose you can say I am a dependable cook. I do try new recipes, though not that often, but I am hoping that will change when we renovate the kitchen. I won't have new appliances, but it'll be a fresh new kitchen just the same and maybe I will be inspired to try new recipes more often.

Yesterday was our daughter Jessica's 23rd birthday. Even though our kids are now in their 20s, I still like to do something special for them on their birthdays. Mamas are like that, you know. :) Jess is the dessert maker in the family. I'm not that crazy about sweets for the most part... but I do enjoy something fruity or nutty or gooey once in a while. Both Jess, and her dad, love dessert. My mom loved something sweet after a meal too, so I guess Jess didn't have much of a chance to turn out differently.

Anyway, I could hardly ask Jess to make her own birthday dessert so I chose something I knew that everyone liked, peanut butter cookies. I thought that was too plain for a birthday and I tried to think of something I had on hand to add to them. We live about 30 minutes from town and about 20 minutes from a small grocery store, so it's not like I can run down to the corner market for an ingredient or two ~ especially with today's gas prices! Sorry for rambling... so I happened to think of a recipe I'd seen on a blog for simple buttercream frosting. Seriously, I'd never made homemade frosting before. My mom had made it lots of times, but for me, it was so much easier to pick up a can of frosting at the store right beside the cake mix!


My dessert was a hit last night and when asked what it was called, I came up with Peanut Butter Smooshies. They are very rich and it was all I could do to finish just one. The rest of the family ate two each. Guess they liked them! :)

I'm all for simple, so here's my recipe, with links to the other recipes I used for the main ingredients:

Peanut Butter Smooshies

• Peanut butter cookies (never fail recipe we've used for years from Crisco here)
• Vanilla buttercream frosting (easy-peasy recipe from Shelly at Cookies and Cups here)

Bake cookies according Crisco's fantastic recipe and let cool completely. Hide them while cooling because other family members will smell them and come looking for them. ;)

While cookies are baking and cooling, make buttercream frosting. Again, guard from family members who think it's a dessert all by itself and keep walking by to "just sample".

I didn't add the vanilla or milk that was in the frosting recipe. I wanted pure buttercream taste (no vanilla) and the consistency of the frosting was perfect without the milk, but you can decide when making yours if you need the vanilla or milk.

Put a spoonful of frosting on the flat side of one cookie...

... and SMOOSH a second cookie on top of it. That's it! :)

Really, could it be any easier? Ok, I guess you could buy peanut butter cookies in a package and frosting in a can, but you know it's not going to be the same.

Enjoy!

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~

From Me to You

Hi everyone!

I've got 2 things for you today ~ a freebie and a 50% off sale!

Here's the freebie. It's a scan from one of my old books of a little Victorian boy. I hope you enjoy using it in your art! :)

{click twice for the largest view, then right click to save}

 
~*~

And here's the sale:

Roger and I are celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary on July 29th. We are hanging around home instead of taking a vacation this year, but we'll be together and that's what is important! :)

In honor of our anniversary and to thank you for reading my blog and to thank you for your support of my folk art, I am having a HALF OFF SALE of everything in my 2 Etsy shops:
Honeysuckle Lane
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HoneysuckleLane
and
Simple Joys Paperie
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpleJoysPaperie

This discount is valid through July 31st.
It is better than the Summer Sale {buy one regular price / get one half off} because ANYthing and EVERYthing you purchase is 50% off!
Just use this code during checkout: HALFOFFJULY2011
If you don't have an Etsy account, please email me with your list and I will remove items from Etsy and send you an adjusted invoice. You may pay via PayPal, check, money order, or credit card.

If you know someone that would like to get in on these savings, feel free to tell them about it.

Have fun shopping!

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~

Petite Poppet Portraits

Hello everyone!

I'm so glad you came back for another visit ~ or that you are here for the first time. :)

Here are the watercolors that I have been working on in between everything else.

They are called Petite Poppet Portraits and as the banner reads, they are inspired by English Wooden dolls of the 18th century. I have painted them on aged watercolor paper in keeping with the antique, naive feel of the artwork. I wanted to create the look of a well-loved painting passed down in the family that was perhaps done by a mother for her daughter to hang beside her cherished dolls.

{click on each photo for a larger view}

Each watercolor is about 4" x 6", not including the mat or the vintage frames. They have screw eyes and pale, pale aqua vintage ribbon for hanging, or you may remove the ribbon and replace it with a string or wire. If you prefer a cream colored ribbon, I can accomodate you with that.

Matilda, a bit homely looking, is in the horizontal frame with the textured aqua mat. It is a vintage piece of thick paper that I had saved for a special purpose. There is no glass is this frame, but not to worry, for both watercolors have been treated with an acid-free, archival-safe coating. Matilda has been washed with pale aqua, light peachy salmon, and light brown watercolors. Details were done with a sepia PITT artist pen.

Lucinda {shown below} a bit prettier in the face, is in the vertical frame with glass. She, too, is dressed in soft aqua, peachy salmon, and light brown colors. All of her details have been done with a tiny, liner watercolor brush using hand mixed sepia watercolor paint.

For now, I only have two completed. These are for sale but I won't be listing them on my websites with my other wares since there is a Summer Sale going on at those places for now.

If you wish to purchase a Petite Poppet Portrait for your early American, folk art home or to accompany your doll collection they are $50 each plus shipping. Just email me {lanamanis at gmail.com} with your request. I accept PayPal, check and credit card payments. If you wish to talk to me, just email and I'll send you my phone number.
Sorry, these watercolors are not included in the Summer Sale.  

Thank you so much for stopping by again and don't forget to leave a comment if you have time. I enjoy hearing from all of you! :)

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~ 

Sneak Peek part 2

I just finished another little watercolor that I'd like to share with you. It is similar to the first one shown here.

I'll have both of them framed and ready to show in their entirety this evening. I'm slowly running out of smaller antique and vintage frames. Guess it's time to hit the thrift stores again! ;)

If you want to see the finished items, check back around 7 or 8 pm central tonight.

Have a lovely Saturday! :)
Lana
~*~

Sneak Peek

Don't you just love sneak peeks? You can't resist looking, but then it always leaves you wanting to see more.

So, here's a little more...

And just a bit more...

I just can't seem to stay out of my workroom. I know I said I wasn't working on anything for a while {other than special orders} because I have things to do around the house ~ inside and out! But when things slow down, and I sit to rest a while, I just have to have something to work on.

Check back now and then, or subscribe to my blog {link is in the sidebar} if you want to see what's going on around here. I hope to have the finished piece {and more like it} to show you very soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by and leave a comment if you wish. I love hearing from you! :)

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~

Color, Color, Color!

Watercolor, that is!

 I'm finally finishing up a commissioned watercolor this week {late, I might add and not shown in these photos}. While I have my supplies out, I thought I'd experiment with some vintage watercolors that I recently purchased.

The first set of watercolor paints below are from West Germany and are called Angora. There's a cute little cat on the lid.

I like the colors, not too bright and with a vintage look ~ how coincidental ~ vintage watercolors look vintage! ;)

The two photos below show a sample I did using Guitar Watercolours. Though the tin isn't marked, I think these were made in Japan.

Again, I like these colors as well.

I think my favorite is Revoli Paints. I think these were made in the U.S.A. 1920's - 40s according to another source I found online.

Can you tell I'm having fun doodling flowers? :)

Detals are done with a sepia PITT pen.

My least favorite were the Artista watercolors made by Binney & Smith as seen below.

There was nothing wrong with them, they were just too bright and vivid ~ but that's something that many artists look for in their paints. It just wasn't what I was looking for this time.

I have done so many fraktur inspired watercolors, first drawing the artwork in pencil then painting and staying in the lines, that I decided to try a little looser approach with these designs.

I painted basic flower shapes, then after the paint dried, I drew the flowers and leaves and curlicues with the PITT pen.

I kind of like it!

A lot! :)

I think I'll keep all but the Artista set. It will most likely get listed on my website when I list another batch of vintage items and supplies.

Do you doodle or paint? What's your favorite medium?
Feel free to share a link in the comments below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Take care and God bless,
Lana

~*~

P.S. I've recently started listing on eBay again... once in a while. You can see my current listing {an antique make-do pincushion} by clicking this link or by clicking on the link in the sidebar where it says: My eBay Auctions.