Lumina Pumpkins {& a question at the end}

 I love white pumpkins even though I have difficulty finding them for sale around here. So, most times I make my own, whether it be fabric pumpkins,

pumpkin block prints,

or paper pumpkins.

This week I have done lumina pumpkin watercolors. I'm having trouble deciding if I will sell the originals or just sell prints and note cards.

I really enjoy working with watercolors...

you never know just exactly what you're going to get when it's finished...

I'll have some paintings available at TDIPT Mercantile Wednesday night. One will be a watercolor of an old crock I recently purchased:

and maybe I'll list the pumpkins, too! :)

Here's my question ~ to all the artists out there: Can you recommend a scanner for scanning artwork? The one I have {HP Deskjet F4240} is a great all-in-one but it doesn't get true colors in a scan and that is so frustrating! I have to edit all my art scans to get close to the actual color and even then I usually don't get the exact color. I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks so much!

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~

Hurry Fall ~ Cool Autumn Interiors

Hi everyone! I've been so busy with canning and freezing things from the garden that I haven't had time to blog, so I must say it was a relief when the folks at Arcadian Lighting offered to do a guest post for me ~ thank you, Reyna and Susi! :)

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Today’s guest post is from Susi, a writer for Arcadian Lighting a must-shop resource for beautiful lighting fixtures.

Labor Day and the unofficial end of summer are right around the corner. We're already thinking of fall colors, mums and asters filling pots and flower boxes, and pumpkins sitting on steps.  Here are some cool autumn interiors to help get you in the mood for the coming season.

Creamy Life (via)

The mural on the bedroom wall is a literal interpretation of autumn foliage. The colors of the linens and lamp are more loose interpretations of the season, inspired by foliage.

Bright Bold Beautiful (via)

Classic fall décor elements of leaves and pumpkins give an autumnal feeling to this farmhouse dining room. A few understated nods to the season are better than too many. What this dining room is missing, is a rustic ceiling light to tie in the decor.

Pinterest (via)

Rich brown leathers remind us of riding boots and cool fall days. Adding a wool rug in foliage inspired colors to a room definitely gives the room a cozy, fall feeling.

 Creamy Life (via)

Reds, russets and oranges color this living room in autumn glory. A warm fireplace and beamed ceilings create a warm, inviting space.

Better Homes and Gardens (via)

Yellow and burnt orange walls give this living room an autumn look. Mixed with warm and cool blue sky blue accents, this room is ready for fall. A warm throw is perfect for cooler nights.

 The Inspired Room (via)

Reds and browns give this foyer an autumn look. Changing out curtains and rugs as the seasons change makes a big difference. Go for plaids and paisleys in the fall for a cozier look.

Country Living (via)

A few fall colored accessories like accent pillows and throws can turn a neutral living room into an autumn interior. Flowers or leaves from the farmers market add to the feeling...as does a roaring fire.

Pinterest (via)

Plaid is a quintessential fall fabric. From football games to back to school, plaids make us think of cool evenings and crisp mornings. Always aware of light fixtures in an interior space, we're loving these bedside reading lamps. A plaid blanket or throw is an easy autumn touch for a bedroom or living room.

Content provided by Arcadian Lighting, a site that specializes in top quality light fixtures at extremely affordable prices. Come visit us today!

 "Arcadian Lighting is the best source for lighting fixtures and accessories at discount prices. Arcadian Lighting has been in the lighting industry for over 15 years selling decorative home lighting fixtures and lamps online, and has become one of the top Internet retailers for home lighting products."

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Susi, thank you so much for writing this post for me and my readers! This has put me in the mood to decorate for fall and has provided me with some great ideas! How about all of you?

Thanks for stopping by.
Take care and God bless,
Lana
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Cats Have It Made

{Scooter doin' his usual thing}

Catnappin' would be nice, but I've been canning and freezing things from the garden.
I've also been finishing up some orders, and if any of you are reading this, I'm nearly finished... finally! :)

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~

Power Outage - A good thing?

Yesterday we had storms in the area. They quickly blew through, but the winds did some damage in the area. Our power was out for a few hours, no lights, no a/c, no tv, no internet, etc. With no lights to better see the artwork I had set out to complete, I decided to go through a large stack of home decor magazines and thin out my stash ~ you're welcome, sister & thank you for taking them! ;)

Had it not been for the storms, I most likely would not have sorted through and gotten rid of all those magazines that were just taking up space. I also wouldn't have taken the time to sit in my grandmother's old rocking chair while going through them. It's old and a bit creaky, but very relaxing. I didn't realize how much I missed rocking in it.

I'd been cooking beans in the crock pot, but unfortunately they weren't done in time for supper due to the power outage. So, when the power did come back on, I quickly fried bacon and scrambled eggs and we had BLTs (+ eggs and cheese). The tomatoes were fresh from the garden and were delicious!

Not long after I got supper finished, the phone went out and of course, so did the internet ~ for several hours. I had planned on working on my websites and Etsy shops, but with no internet service, I decided to play around with some photos I took yesterday morning of a hydrangea bloom on my windowsill.

I love how the sun, once it rose above the trees, illuminated the bloom and the leaves. And yes, that's the clothes line in the distance. I haven't used it much at all this year. Everyone has been bothered so much with allergies, I didn't want to make them worse by hanging laundry out on the line and then bringing in all the pollen. I miss laundry dried on the line in the sun.

So, this was another thing I accomplished due to power {and phone and internet} outages ~ I took time to edit and play around with these photos. I can't decide if I like them better with more color... or a soft, summery, sun bleached look. Which do you like best?

I also thought of changing my blog banner... again. I like the gray monochromatic banner I have now... but I do love color! :)

{should I use this one?}

{or this one?}

I'm sure I'll be changing it in the fall again. There'll be lots of colorful photo ops!

I was just thinking, I wish I had a Photoshop program to try all the wonderful textures that Kim Klassen creates. I have PS Elements 2.0, but it's pretty old and things look different and I had trouble finding my way around. Maybe it's just me. I seem to be technically challenged a lot lately. Oh well, one of these days... :)



Thank you for stopping by to visit ~ have a lovely day!

Take care and God bless,
Lana
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p.s. I'd love to order cards made from some of my photos I've taken over the years (instead of printing them at home and making cards as I usually do). Could anyone recommend a company that's economical AND makes quality note cards? Thanks! :)

The Little Busy Bee

"How doth the little busy bee

improve each shining hour

and gather honey all the day

 from every opening flower?"

 

I went out to the garden today to check on the beans, corn, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers...

and ended up mesmerized by this little busy bee.

Have a lovely evening,

Lana

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Full Circle ~ almost

Happy August! Wow ~ it's hard to believe that August has arrived. Seriously, it seems like this year has really flown by... more so than other years. There are so many things on my "to do" list for this year that aren't checked off. I'm getting a little worried. Can I get them completed in 4 or 5 more months? I hope so!

I'm still trying to find my place in the folk art world. Several years ago when I joined an online group of early American folk art enthusiasts, my eyes were opened to a whole new world ~ primitive folk art! Previously, I loved this style, loved the history, loved the whimsical pieces made by nowadays self-taught artists, but never really knew there were groups that talked about it and shared their knowledge of folk art and folk art crafts.

Over time, my style changed somewhat. I still enjoyed learning about and making primitive and folk art pieces, but with a lighter, softer look about them to match my home decor. More and more my designs seemed to be lighter, more cottage / shabby chic / whimsical in style. I finally nearly abandoned the primitive, folk art crafts, but not because I didn't like them, but for lack of time because I was so busy with my new found love ~ paper crafting!

Although I am sure I will always be playing with paper and making all sorts of things that go with a cottage, shabby chic, whimsical decor... I do want to get back to early American, primitive, folk art. Maybe it'll be a combination of styles, maybe I still haven't found my niche, maybe I just enjoy way too many things to settle down... oh well... I can honestly say I'm never bored and never run out of ideas. I have stacks of sketch books filled with all sorts of creations just waiting to be made. Like I told my daughter a while back, "I'm so glad we have eternity!." :)

Since I am working on more primitive folk art pieces, I have re-joined TDIPT (To Dwell In Primitive Thymes). The TDIPT Mercantile updates twice a month on the 1st and the 15th. My updates will be on the 1st of each month. You may see my page HERE. I need to make another banner for my page when I have time but for now I used a cropped border from one of my watercolors.

I've made whimsical owls (can't seem to get away from whimsy for long!), more petite poppet portraits, a pumpkin on candlestick, and a few more items that may be seen at the TDIPT Mercantile.

 If you enjoy early American, primitive, folk art with a bit of whimsy, you'll enjoy visiting TDIPT. Come on over when you have time!

That's it for today. I have three 5-gallon buckets of corn waiting to be shucked, washed and frozen.

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~