Just "Hoppy" to be Here!

Am I blue? No, not really! I don't know why I chose the new blue color scheme. Today was my first day back to school. I am really excited and I have an absolutely wonderful class. I am feeling a bit tired and overwhelmed. Doesn't school always start out that way?
Mrs. LeAnne Grissom is getting ready to go back to school, too. She is a teacher at Westwood Preschool. She emailed requesting a "girlie frog" for her room. I tried out a new background with swirlies instead of dots. Cute! She also said she wanted the pink and green combination. I love those two colors together! This would look so cheerful and welcoming on a classroom door!
This one is a bit smaller than the other teacher canvases I have done so far. It is 8x10 and costs $25.00. They are selling like hotcakes :) for the beginning of the year, but keep them in mind at Christmas time as well!

The Craven Family's Summer Stripes

Toree Craven is sprucing up her porch! She sent me this photo of her newly repainted wicker furniture and her new cushions. She wanted something long to hang on the door that said "Welcome". We both loved the stripes on the cushion so I used it as the border of her canvas.
The yellows, oranges, and greens look so clean and modern to me...just like Toree now that I think about it! I also tried to find something a little "funky" for the center.
This one is 12x24 and costs $40.00. The pretty green burlap ribbon is included! This is also a new font I've been trying out. It is called "Mistrel" and can also be seen in the past post "Addison's Stripes".

A Special Birthday Collage

Miss Dessa Reed really knows how to be a good friend! She wanted a special way to display photos from the life of her buddy Janice Mayfield as a surprise for her birthday. She was going to do a poster, but wanted something a little more permanent. She thought about getting something framed, but it was too expensive.
She called me and we decided on a photo collage. This is color copies of photographs decoupaged onto a large 24x24 canvas. The background is painted and there are are all kinds of pretty printed and textured papers. The whole thing is coated in decoupage medium and then sealed.

The artwork goes around the edges, so no frame is necessary. I thought this was a very creative solution to Dessa's problem. Best of all, I talked to Janice and she loved it!
The photo at the top shows the whole thing. The two at the bottom show parts of it a little closer up!

Jackie's Bright Dots

I am in teacher heaven! All of these wonderful teachers have been ordering canvases with their names on them for their classrooms. The fun thing is that they are all so different!
Mrs. Jackie Reed at West Elementary requested dots in "every color, the brighter the better"! That is exactly what I did! Every letter in her name is a different color. Every dot is a different color. Even the ribbon is rainbow striped!
This one is just so bright and cheerful. I can't help but to smile a little when I look at it! If you are a teacher, or have a special teacher in your life...call me!

Welcome Mrs. Lorance!

The school where I teach, Bobby Ray Elementary, is welcoming several new teachers this year. One of them is Jaime Lorance. She is such a sweetheart, and gorgeous, funny, and smart to boot!
Jaime has put so much work into her first classroom. She has this whole jungle theme going complete with a reading hut, palm trees, and monkeys. She wanted a canvas that would match those colors, but could also be used every year.
I really liked how this one turned out. I love the colors and I do feel like it would be a beautiful addition to her classroom. My new burlap ribbon is a perfect finishing touch! Welcome Jaime!

Halle's Chocolate Dots

The chocolate dots have become so popular! I think it is because the brown looks great with just about any color and that it can be used for a boy or a girl. This one also has a timeless, classic feel that appeals to almost everyone. Whatever the reason, I am lovin' it!
Julie LaForte ordered this one for Halle's room that is being redecorated. It is a little different because it is on the square canvas. This new size is $35.00. When looking at this one, remember that the background and the dots can be done in any color! Is anyone else seeing red and green coming soon???
If you haven't seen Julie's new photography blog, be sure to click on the link to "Sweet Memories"!

Aren't They a Nice Couple?

Don't they look like a nice couple? Okay, this is just us! You do have to admit that it looks like someone else! Maybe it just feels that way to me. Someone we met on our trip took this picture of us with their camera phone and emailed it to us. Don't you love technology? I had forgotten to take my camera to this party they had for all of the honeymoooners and anniversary couples. I guess I was reliving the fun after my second day of inservice and decided to share this one!

Cupcake

If you look in the past posts, you will find the sister piece to this one. On the "Tea for Gracie" post, there is a canvas just like this one, except there is a teacup in the center and Gracie's name at the bottom.
Gracie's mom decided to have another one done to compliment the first one. This one also matched the cupcakes and teacups on the bedspread. The room has this whole tea party theme. I haven't actually seen the room, or even the bedding, but that just sound so darling!
Two, or even three, pieces that compliment each other are so versatile. They can be arranged together or separately and can easily be moved around when furniture is rearranged. I have a really cute butterfly, ladybug, and snail combination coming up - be on the look out!!!

N is for Newlywed

N is for newlywed and this B is for Bales. Randi Fuston wanted something for an out of town friend who is getting married. She said that the things they had registered for were all shades of cream and khaki and brown. She also said that their taste was clean, simple, and very classy.
We came up with the single large initial for their last name and based the color scheme on their registry. I found this pretty burlap-like ribbon and mixed it with the satin for texture. The outcome was just simply beautiful!
This is a perfect newlywed gift, but anyone would enjoy it. It would also look great in other colors. I am picturing light blue with navy and white, kind of a nautical look. I can also see a Christmas version! Another great thing to keep in mind is how well all of the canvases do in the mail. They are light weight and durable and are perfect for those out of town friends. This one is 14x14 and costs $35.00.

Tutu Cute!

This is just "tutu" cute! Alison Cummins ordered this very girlie canvas for her daughter, Arden. Arden loves her ballet classes! Her room is pink with touches of light blue. I made sure to incorporate both colors.
She also wanted the ballerina to reflect Arden herself. I gave her brown hair and brown eyes. I just happen to really like that!
This one is 12x12 square. It also has a really pretty multicolored ribbon attached. It is not necessary to have the ribbon, but it does add a nice touch. This was also another way to pick up the blue. This size is $35.00.

Rubber Duckie

I can't help but to think of Ernie and his rubber duckie song every time I see this one! It is so cute and perfect for a child's bathroom. A wonderful customer, Daphne Campbell ordered the rubber duckie. She also wanted blue, pink, and green in there somewhere. I thought about plaid or stripes, but kept coming back to polka dots.
After I drew the circles with my circle template, I got to looking at them and realized they looked like bubbles! How perfect! Plus, I LOVE the yellow gingham ribbon!
Daphne also has a cupcake ordered to match the tea cup I did fer her daughter, Gracie. I need to attach the ribbon and photograph it, so it will be up soon.

Caroline's Funky Dots

Tonya Scott is redecorating Caroline's room and wanted something special to hang above the headboard of her bed. She emailed me a photo of her new bedding, which is hot pink and lime green.
She wanted something that could grow with her and last a while. They both liked the dots! I thought this design with the funky letters was very appropriate for a little girl. It would look great in a teenager's room as well.
I also did this one a new canvas size that is available since Caroline is a pretty long name. It is a 10x30 - very long and skinny. It can be turned either way. I have visions of giraffes, trains, ice cream cones, snakes...I could go on and on! It conveniently fits great above a bed or any narrow space. This size costs $60.00. I don't recommend a ribbon for this size because of the weight of the extra brace in the center.

A Few Vacation Pics

We are back from a very busy, but relaxing, week in Florida. We mostly laid in the sand in Daytona Shores, but we did get out and do a little! We spent a day at Disney's Animal Kingdom...and spent the next day recovering! It was beautiful and the animals were amazing. We also did a day at Six Flags on our way back home. Carter got to meet the superheroes, which was the highlight of his trip. Lauren discovered the joy of roller coasters. I can't wait to post the pictures of us out on the boat (as soon as Emily gets them to me)! Mike and I had the most fun just watching their little faces. That just makes everything worthwhile.
The last picture is great of Lauren. That is chocolate around her mouth. She literally collapsed at the dinner table one night and was carried in to bed. This pretty much sums up how we all feel today! It is good to be home again!

At the Beach

The postings have been few and far between lately because I am at the beach. Luckily, our condo does have wi-fi. Is it sad that I am still using the computer while on vacation? It is raining today!! Anyway, we are having a great time and our condo is absolutely gorgeous. It belongs to long time family friends, Robert and Nancy Grooms. They are generous enough to let our entire family use it each year. More pics coming soon!
I did this one for them as a thank you gift. I love the aqua! I guess that is pretty obvious since I changed the entire blog's background to that color! I guess I am in a "beach phase"! I used one of my shells as inspiration. I also used a pretty sheer aqua ribbon with a little beige mixed in. I think pale yellows, tans, and beiges look pretty with the blue. This one is also in the new 6x9 size...not too big, not too little!