Custom Wedding Quilt & Update

I've been working on this custom quilt for the past couple days. My customer had the guests at her wedding write messages to her on fabric squares to later have made into a quilt. Isn't that a cool idea? There were a total of 143 five inch squares and it made a lap size quilt. What a treasured item this will be.

 

With the customers permission I may turn this into a custom item in my Etsy shop.

 

Now for an update... I know it's been a while since I've posted and it has been much longer since I've posted a painting. I planned on having some time to paint before starting on my master's, but it hasn't happened. I start graduate school on Monday and the only thing I've painted the past couple months were some abstract watercolor cards. I truly miss painting, but the line up of custom quilt orders has been almost never ending. Once I complete this custom quilt I will be caught up.

 

I can only imagine that I will be ridiculously busy with school once it starts again, and I have no idea how much time I'll have for either painting or quilting. I do intend to at least set aside as hour or two a day for painting/quilting but school has to be my priority. I'm not sure how frequently I will be blogging, but I hope you'll all stick around! I've appreciated all your support and kind comments over the past couple years. :)

 

God bless.

Another Custom Project

 

Here's a look at another custom project I recently completed. A couple months ago a customer sent me a box of her late husbands ties (almost 50 of them) and wanted me to create a few mini memory quilts. I decide to make "crazy" style blocks in order to incorporate many of the ties in a fun way. All together I made 4 of these mini quilts. I made 3 like you see in the first photo and the quilt in the second photo was made using all Christmas themed ties and will be a holiday wall hanging. Two of these were a gift for her childen on Valentine's Day (her husband's birthday).

 

I had never worked with ties before so this was a new experience. I really enjoyed being able to create this lasting memory for her. I hope the quilts are something she and her children will treasure for a long time.

 

For the first time in over 6 months I'm all caught up on custom quilt orders! I feel quite free. So now I'm working on getting caught up on about 50 made-to-order baby quilt listings in my Etsy shop. Whew.. the work never ends! :) But I'm really enjoying having all this time to quilt (and hopefully paint soon) before school starts again in May!

Memory Quilt Top

I have been quilting away on that custom memory quilt. I made 35 blocks total and just finished assembling the top. The top is comprised of baby clothes, receiving blankets and a few scraps of fabric leftover from another custom quilt they had made. I added a pink border to it and now it's just about ready to be quilted!

This is the first time I've made a crazy quilt and I think I just might be obsessed! I love that it's scrappy, but not too much. I have a lot of ideas now as to how I can incorporate these blocks into other projects. :)

Another Maggie

This is Maggie, a cute Yorkie I've been painting over the past week. This is actually the 2nd Maggie I've painted in a row. I painted her in pastel (sticks and pencils) on Ampersand Pastelbord.

 

This painting was a challenge for me because my wrist has been bothering me a lot. After the last 2 pet portraits I did I was experiencing a lot of pain. I fear that it's carpal tunnel. I've been trying to rest it as best I can, and have been wearing a support. Hopefully I can avoid any kind of surgery, but ultimately I'll do what I need to. I have to be able to paint! :)

 

I hope you all have a great week!

New Mini Quilts

I've been working on these little quilts the past couple days and I love them!

 A photo of my dogs with the new Puppy Park fabric by Riley Blake.

 Two photos! Love this one.

I've been doing some with embroidery too! This one is for my sister who is due to have a baby any day!

These little quilts are so much fun and I have a TON of ideas for more! All three of these will become custom listings in my Etsy shop. I think they would make completely adorable (and affordable) gifts!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Family Tree Quilt & 300th Post!

I've been working on this custom quilt for the past couple weeks and it's finally complete! This couple contacted me on Etsy and said that they needed a quilt with 40 embroidered names (a memento for their parents). The thought was a bit daunting since I had never made anything like it before. It was a lot of work but I'm very happy with the way it turned out. In fact I'm so happy with it that I've decided to make it into a custom listing in my Etsy shop. I'm calling it a "Family Tree Quilt." I will have it listed soon.

By the way, this is my 300th blog post! Not too impressive considering I've been blogging for years, but it's still a big number. :)

Have a great weekend!

Custom Memory Quilt

I just finished this custom memory quilt for a customer who will be giving it to her daughter as a graduation present.

This is a little bit bigger than the custom memory quilts that I have for sale on my website. This customer really wanted a lot of photos so I made her a twin size quilt with 27 photos. She sent me scans of pictures, poems, letters and story book covers.

I wish I could see the look on her face and her daughters when they see this quilt in person! It really is special to see these photos that mean so much to you, printed on fabric.

If you're interested in a custom memory quilt please visit my website or email me at: angela292@hotmail.com

Hope you're having a great weekend!



Bella

This is Bella, a sweet dog that I've been commissioned to paint. This painting really didn't scan well at all. The original painting is so much softer looking.

It felt so good to be painting again! I've been so overwhelmed with custom quilt orders that painting has taken a back seat.

If you're interested a custom pet portrait please visit my Etsy shop.

Have a great weekend!!

Bear & Lee

"Bear & Lee" 5 by 7, Pastel

I was working on this custom pet portrait today. It was a lot of fun to do, especially that little kitty in the background. The photo given to me for reference was not ideal and I had a little trouble working out the lighting. Unfortunately it was the only photo of Bear that the customer had. I tried to make it work and I'm quite happy with the way it turned out.

I just love these pet portraits. I might try some wildlife in watercolor this week. :)

Frank

"Frank" 8 by 10, Custom Pet Portrait in Pastel

I've been working on this custom pet portrait for the past couple days and he's finished! I felt a bit rusty because I haven't painted in pastel in a couple months, but I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out.

I've been very busy with quilting things and still working on that huge addition to my business! I'll blog about that soon.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!!

Purple Tulip Commission

"Purple Tulip" 5 by 7, Commissioned Watercolor Painting

I was so happy to paint this custom painting for one of my collectors. She has three other of my watercolor tulip paintings and wanted another, in a different color, to add to her collection. I'm very pleased with the way this painting turned out and I think she will be too.

I enjoy doing custom paintings so if you have something in mind, just let me know. :)

Item of the Week & Special Offer

"In The Garden" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

I brought this kitty back from the gallery this weekend and he's now available in my Etsy shop. As this week's item-of-the-week this painting is being offered at a discount price of $45 with free shipping.

I have a few collectors of my original cat paintings, and at $45-$55 they're very reasonably priced. I have a few other original kitties available on my website too.

I'm also having a cigar box sale. If you purchase any box you will receive a reduced price box for free. Also, if you "like" my art page on Facebook I will send you a free hand painted cigar box with any purchase. These offers are supposed to end this Sunday, but I may extend it.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Goliath - Commissioned Pet Portrait

"Goliath" - Commissioned Pet Portrait, 8 by 10

I've been working the past few days on this pet portrait. A customer requested this painting as a gift for her sister. I was a bit nervous before starting it because the right side of the dog (in the reference photo) was mostly in shadow. It didn't look bad in the photo, I just wasn't sure I was going to be able to render it the way I wanted to with paint. But, I am very pleased with the way that it turned out. The scan isn't perfect, but the original looks great.

If you're interested in a custom pet portrait, just check out my Etsy page. I offer 3 different sizes and I think the prices are very reasonable.

Off to plan my next painting! :)

A Visitor

"A Visitor" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Another little kitty today. Actually it's the same cat as in my last painting. Once again, thank you to Nancy Rose for allowing me to use your great photo for this painting. This one was a lot of fun. It was nice to spend an equal amount of time on the background as on the cat.

I haven't listed this painting on Etsy yet, but I plan on doing so within the next week or so. I have some collectors of my little cat paintings and I'm waiting to list a few of them at the same time.

Also, if you're interested in a custom pet portrait, I am taking orders. I was thinking of what a great Mother's Day or Father's Day gift that would make! For more information on custom pet portraits, click here. I also have listings available for different sizes in my Etsy shop.

Have a wonderful day!

Custom Pet Portraits

I'm officially offering custom pet portraits. I so enjoy painting animals and would be happy to create a lasting memory of your beloved pet.

The portrait will be done from your photograph(s). So you will need to find your favorite photo or take one that captures your pets personality and character. Photos are very important to this process. The quality of the portrait depends on the quality of the photo. Here are a few tips for capturing a good image of your pet:

- Take the photo at the eye level of your pet. Don't take it from above or below.

-Light is important. Try taking the photo with your pet near a window with light coming in, if indoors, or outdoors. Natural light is best.

- Don't take the photo too close.

- Take a bunch of photos so you will have several to choose from.

After you have chosen the photographs you can email them to me or send them by mail (they will be returned to you) along with any requirements that you have.

Your pet portrait will be painted in pastel on acid free and archival paper or board with the finest quality pastels. Pastels on archival surfaces will hold their color for centuries without fading, cracking, or yellowing as other mediums do.

To purchase you can either view my Etsy shop, or contact me via email (angela292@hotmail.com).

Prices:

5 by 7 Pet Portrait - $75 + shipping

8 by 10 Pet Portrait - $100 + shipping

11 by 14 Pet Portrait - $125 + shipping

If you're interested a different size than listed above, contact me for a quote.

Please note that these prices are for one pet. If you wish to have multiple pets in one painting there will be an additional charge.

I will ask for 2-3 weeks to complete your painting.

Also note that framing isn't included, but available at an additional cost if you're interested.

You are certainly not obligated to purchase the final painting if you are unhappy with it.

Payment is due when the painting is complete. I may ask for a nonrefundable deposit before I begin.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

New Business Card

I just thought I would share my new business card today. I worked with Ric Helstrom to design a custom card. I am very happy with the way it turned out, and finally no more struggling to make my own art cards (to use in place of business cards). Ric currently has a sale going on for the month of December. 1000 two-sided color cards for $195 plus shipping. You can contact him through his Facebook page. He first sent me some sample cards, and the quality is incredible. If you're looking to have a new business card designed, he's the person to do it. Plus if you're a self-employed artist, it's a tax write off!

I hope you're all having a great day. We're bracing for a winter storm! This will be a good time to stay inside and play around with my new printer. :)

Custom Flower Portraits in Pastel

I'm starting a new venture, flower portrait commissions. That's right, flower portraits! I've always loved painting flowers and I would like to start painting them for others. I have received several commissions for cigar boxes hand painted with flowers, but this is more of a fine art approach.

What woman doesn't have a favorite flower? Imagine having a painting done of your mother's favorite flower and giving it to her for a gift. Instead of buying real flowers that will only last a few days, give the gift of a flower painting that will last forever.

Maybe you went on vacation to an exotic place and took some pictures of some flowers. You could create a memory of that trip with a painting of those flowers. Or perhaps you planted some flowers in memory of someone (roses for instance). How about creating a permanent memorial in a painting of those roses? Or maybe you just love flowers as much as I do, and your home could use a splash of color. Whatever the case, I would love to paint some flowers for you!

Now for some specifics - I can use photographs that you have taken as references, or you could simply tell me the type of flower that you would like and I can use my own references. As far as composition goes, I would like to keep the painting to one or two blossoms. Anymore than that, and the detail will be lost.

You can be as involved in the process as you would like. If you would like to see updates on the piece, or an original composition idea, that is completely fine. And if you'd just like me to use my own ideas and creativity, that is fine as well.

Your flower will be painted in pastel on acid free and archival paper or board with the finest quality pastels. Pastels on archival surfaces and papers will hold their color for centuries without fading, cracking or yellowing as other mediums do.

To purchase you can either view my Etsy page, or you can contact me personally via e-mail (angela292@hotmail.com).

Prices:

5 by 7 Flower Portrait - $ 75 ($30 non refundable deposit is required, unless purchased through Etsy)

8 by 10 Flower Portrait - $100 ($40 non refundable deposit is required, unless purchased through Etsy)

I will ask for 2 weeks to complete your painting.

You are certainly not obligated to purchase the final painting, if you are unhappy with it (less the deposit).

I also offer custom pet portraits. If you're interested click here to learn more.

"Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning." ~Lydia M. Child

More Custom Boxes

I received a custom order from this lovely lady in Tennessee for these boxes. One is a wedding gift for her son, and the others are gifts for her granddaughters. I had used up my inventory of cigar boxes on my order from the Flint Institute of Arts recently, so I had to order these boxes and wait for them to arrive before I could even paint them. Luckily this customer was willing to wait however long necessary, for these boxes. To show my appreciation for her patience, I included a couple mini paintings with easels for her granddaughters. I'm always happy to do something extra for a special customer. :)

These painted boxes have been a hit lately! Needless to say I'm placing orders for more boxes just in case!