A New Year of Friends Family and Art

As I sit in my daughters office, reflecting on the pleasure of this visit with her family, I count my blessings from the past year. My parents are still healthy and doing well, even though my Mother had recently broke her wrist, it is healing fine. They are approaching their 88th and 87th birthdays in the next year, I hope to visit them in the spring. My children and their families have comfortably settled into the chaos of domestic trials and joys. My daughter in Pennsylvania has a new home, and job and they are doing well. It has been a pleasure to visit with them for the past week. My son has managed to come through a messy divorce with custody of his 2 young children and is adjusting to a new life, job and raising my grand kids in a much more stable and content home. My oldest has also adjusted to a new job that she loves, and her and her husband are doing well and anxious to start a family. My family has grown in 2008. My marriage in Feb 2008 brought 5 new children to the family and 2 new grandchildren. Everyone is healthy and looking forward to a more prosperous 2009.

I count my blessings for my friendships. I have developed wonderful new friendships through this art club on line. My friends from DAWG group have brought me much joy and companionship in the past year. I enjoy my time with every one, and hope all the members of DAWG all the best in 2009.

I count my blessings for my art. I am truly fortunate to be able to pursue what I love to do. I believe that I have grown as an artist in 2008. I hope to see more creative development and learn new techniques in the upcoming year. I love to start a piece with little planning and discover what might develop as I progress with the painting. It can make a very fresh and creative atmosphere, even if the painting itself doesn't turn out, it generates tons of new ideas. I enter 2009 with this same logic. I have no set plans for the upcoming year, I am not an organized or structured person. The ability to gracefully navigate the world with all of it's chaos is an art, just as my painting is. I welcome 2009 with open arms. With help from my family and friends I will navigate my little part of the world just fine. I wish you all a very blessed, healthy 2009.

Love, Sue

Happy Holidays

Hello everyone, I just wanted to wish everyone a great Holiday. I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful season and hope that everyone stays safe for the Holidays yet to come. If you are going out or doing anything for New Years eve please stay safe.

Merry Christmas Eve

For the first time in my life in Oregon, we will have a White Christmas!

We've been house bound since the 19th...there's food in the freezer and a bunch of books to read. We've been snug and warm and dry and enjoyed the deep winter quiet.

Naturally, all sorts of childhood memories have popped up. Christmas Eve meant a big family gathering with all sorts of foods and goodies.

Vigilia was always at my Godmother's home and I remember quite a few where the snow was so deep we wondered if we'd make it.

Some how, we always did!

This year, we'll get together here...the drive is shoveled but the snow is falling, again!



The kids will open a few presents; I love to watch their faces!

We'll join a few far away family members on the phone.

Merry Christmas and Blessings to ALL!

Win a Seascape oil painting

I will be giving this oil painting away on January 1, 2009 to someone who emails me and tells me they heard about the give away. To learn more got to my website
It is done entirely with a palette knife and no brush. It is signed and comes with COA( certificate of authenticity).
I gave my red poinsettia painting away and I like doing that so I thought I would start the new year off by giving a painting away every so often. If you are an artist you know we create a lot of paintings. Anyway, you must email me and give me your name and email address to qualify.
Thanks
Barbara

Art-by-Annamarie Armstrong

Holiday Paintings

During the Holidays I love to paint subjects that bring out the holiday spirit. It's a wonderful way to get in that feeling of excitement and wonder of the season.

I hope you will have a Holiday filled with

PEACE~LOVE~JOY

Enjoy viewing my Christmas creations.

CHRISTMAS PAST

Poppy always enjoys posing for a Holiday portrait.

CHRISTMAS PRESENT

CHRISTMAS FUTURE????We'll just have to see what will inspire me in 2009.Thank you for checking out the DAWG blog full of talented women artist online!

Snowdog pals - which one is Batman?

Click here for ebay auctions and Buy it Now items

Click here for collieish present ideas at Cafepress

And here for my shop on Etsy


Find me on MySpace and be my friend!

And have I mentioned my novel - a few hours of escapist froth for your entertainment??: Click here for Susan's novel

Thanks so much for looking…..

Susan

Red Poinsettia oil painting

I gave this painting away on my web site today and one of my artist friends won it. Congratulations Lisa and I do hope you enjoy the painting. I plan on doing this more. Every couple of months I will give a painting away. All you will need to do is sign up on my web site.
http://bhavilandfineart.com
How is you shopping coming along? I really need to finish mine.

Barbara

Sugar Plum Dreams

So Christmas is right around the corner. Are ya'll prepared? I have almost everything I need to do done. Thank Heavens. I love this time of year but it's just so much darn work. I've been working on setting up a bonanzle store.....so now I'll have 2 online stores to tend too...I must be nuts. But anyway I hope you will visit my new store: http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/eclecticspirit We (my daughter & I) have jewelry, art, decorative painting you name it. Dec 14 (Sunday) 9-12 Pacific time we'll be having a 15% bonanzle (sale)...please stop by.



And visions of sugar plums danced in their heads....... Christmas candies painted on a Snowflake shaped porcelain ornament painted with enamel paints.

Available in my Etsy store...here's the link: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7288077

Merry Christmas!

Christmas ACEOS

Wonderful gifts or decorations for Christmas... low priced... original artwork by wonderful artists! Can be displayed in frames, separately or grouped together, as collections in albums! And our DAWG Team has plenty to choose from.



Here are some great examples that I found from our group:

Christmas Recipes

I thought I would share some yummy Recipes that you might want to try this holiday season. I like to try and eat new goodies so hope you enjoy them! :) Lisa

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Gooey Bars

1 Box yellow cake mix

1 stick margarine Melted

3 eggs

1 Box Powdered Sugar

1 8oz. cream cheese

Combine Cake Mix, margarine, and one egg, press into a 9x13" pan, mix powdered sugar, cream cheese and 2 eggs. Beat for 5 minutes, pour over mixture and bake 35 to 45 minutes in a 325' oven, Cool before Cutting

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Gingerbread

1 cup molasses

3/4 cup boiling water

1 1/2 cup sifted flour

1 egg

1 tsp. soda

3 Tbsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together beating well. Batter is thin, Bake at 350' for 35 minutes.

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Fruit Tea

6 tea bags

6oz. frozen lemonaide

6 oz. frozen orange juice

2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

1 1/2 cups sugar

Boil tea bags in one quart of water, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes add all juices and sugar to enough water to make one galloon, Refrigerate.

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Coconut Bon Bons

1 1/2 sticks melted butter

1 can Eagle Brand Milk

2 lbs confectioners sugar

2 cups coconut

2 cups pecans chopped, you can leave out if you don't like them

1 12oz. pkg. chocolate chips

1/2 pound of paraffin

Mix butter, sugar, milk, coconut and pecans together, Roll into balls, Chill

Melt choc chips and paraffin over water water, dip balls into choco mixture and place on wax paper to cool! :)

The Recipe

I didn't have potatoes,

so I substituted with rice,

I didn't have paprika,

so I used another spice,

I didn't have tomatoe sauce,

so I used tomatoe paste,

A whole can, not just half,

I don't believe in waste,

A friend gave me this recipe,

she said you couldn't beat it,

I don't know what's wrong with her

I couldn't even eat it! :)

~May God Bless Eat Bite~

Occupation Themed Christmas Cards

I am creating Occupational Themed Christmas Cards for people with various jobs.

These are my first two so far. I have differnet greetings on the outside for both designs. School bus drivers and Fire Fighters are ready! Coming soon- Garbage Truck Santa, Rescue Santa, Truck Driver Santa, and who knows- I may do a few old classic cars too. I'd like to see him in a Model T, a '57 Chevy, a train engine, & more so I will be playing with this design for awhile! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Holidays all!

Just visit me on GCU & leave a testimonial, rate my cards, or favorite them- would love to hear from you!

Christmas Santa

Where has the year gone? I can hardly believe that Christmas is right around the corner. We had a tree lighting celebration downtown this weekend and I decorated enough Christmas trees the past several days to last a life time. But the carolers, hot chocolate and holiday friends made the effort very worth while.

I have been drawing Christmas and Santa pictures this week. Here are a few of those.

Wishing you and yours a very blessed holiday season.

I have to ask...

Today, being the Feast of St Nicholas, did you find oranges and chocolates? Did you find coal? It's a dead giveaway to whether Santa will be stopping by your place. Were you a good little girl or boy?




I've started decorating for the season and it's all Christmas at my house.




Candles in the windows is just the beginning of a ritual that extends from several days to a week. Bringing the decorations out a bit at a time gives the Grand kids an opportunity to look for something different each visit.

The older they get, the more they want to speed up the process. They even offer to help decorate the tree, NOW!




Can't blame them. I do remember how the days seemed to drag along endlessly while I eagerly awaited the arrival of the jolly gifter dressed in red. The stretch of time from December 6th til the 25th seemed interminable.

Now, it's such a brief period, I fear I won't be ready!

Growing up isn't all it's cracked up to be.

December 3rd

Christmas is almost here already; I hope you all are ready, it seems the older I get the faster time goes by.

I haven't had much time to do any new art but have found a fun place that anyone can try their ideas.

It is called ZAZZLE; there you can upload images for mugs, calendars, greeting cards, postcards, T shirts and more. I have been having fun with bumper stickers.

Today we live in a era where everyone wants to celebrate Christmas, but it is not politically correct to say Merry Christmas. Strange, I know!



At Zazzle.com I have sold several of my bumper stickers to people like me, who are NOT afraid to say Merry Christmas.

You can visit my Zazzle shop and see what I have created thus so far. I will be adding more and more as time permits, but don't forget to visit my shop and leave a comment there too.

You might want to open your own shop there, after all it's FREE!

WWW.Zazzle.com/MyrnaM*

Thanks4lookin and did I say..... MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A New Place To Sell

I have started a booth on BONANZLE, a new place that alot of sellers are going to. My new booth is www.bonanzle.com/booths/papermoondelights

It seems to be a fast growing place that many people are selling and buying at now. I have listed several new ACEO cards and other items too. I will be listing more as I go along so when you get to my booth make sure you mark me as a favorite so you can come back easily, also you can leave me a live chat note. Hope to see you all at Bonanzle.com

Here are a few of my new items

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/papermoondelights/items/Shy_Little_Snowman_ACEO_Painting

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/papermoondelights/items/Snowy_Day_Winter_Pathway_ACEO_Photography

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/papermoondelights/items/Mystic_Sky_ACEO_Photograph

Nutcracker Anyone?

Cute Squirrel Christmas Humor!!!

If you are like me, you either feed the squirrels or you have someone in your family who does! And this little guy will definately make them smile through the holidays!

Perfect gifts for a squirrel lover are now available in my Cafe Press store!

Gifts for 5.00 on up to 40.00! Magnets, t-shirts, tote bags, coffee mugs, and lots more available!

Preparing for Christmas!

I am done with my must do items and finally can get started on preparing for Christmas! It's relief and none too soon as I promised to paint all my greeting cards this year. It's a resolution I've kept so all the birthday and anniversary cards I sent this year have been 5 x 7 watercolor paintings.

I've started the Christmas Greetings and here are a few samples...I just need about 40 to cover my list!

On the Cliff


Holly


...To the Woods


Creek Melt


A little Fog, a little Snow...
Happy Christmas from the Oregon I know!

I have added a couple original greeting cards to my Etsy shop.
Just in case you're looking for a little something special.



Winter Greetings


Winter Greetings 2

You know I'll be painting for the next several days...Oh, and cooking a Thanksgiving Feast.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!