My Other Poppy!

Poor Poppy, yep! That is my other Poppy :) She is being dumped on :(

Well, you all know by now that I love Red and so, when we had the opportunity to buy a convertible car multiple years ago it was an absolute no brainer for me. Poppy is a V12, 5.3 liter, XJS, Classic convertible RED Jaguar. Also, part of her was made at the Jag plant in the City I grew up in, unfortunately the plant had to shut down a few years ago, so she is a reminder of the once thriving Coventry car industry.

But as the seasons change she doesn't get to go out to play as much as she does during the Spring and Summer. So, like anything in our house if it doesn't move for a while you will find a pile of something or other growing on top of it and Poppy, unfortunately, is no different.

First it was the cushions from the outside furniture, waiting to go up to the attic, by the way they are still waiting and at this rate they may be still there when Spring rolls around. :)

The front end is covered with the boxes from that haul of wine we ordered after our trip to Napa in September. The wine fridge eventually arrived and so the unpacking of all those boxes that were in the hallway for months got underway. Click here to see.

Please, no comments about the rest of my messy garage :(

NOTE LICENCE PLATE :)

This was just the beginning, I wish I had taken pictures of the final pile, needless to say we had a lot of polystyrene to get rid of and cardboard boxes. Thankfully, we have a recycling place that takes polystyrene, I couldn't have put it in the land fill, I would not have forgiven myself. The cardboard all went into our weekly recycling bin. I love living in Oregon for lots of reasons, that it is one of the leading environmentally aware states really helps :)

She is so understanding :)

Here she is on a nice sunny day, posing for the camera, she does like to show off sometimes :)

Don't forget to enter my Holiday Giveaway.

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

Holiday Giveaway!

I Love the Holidays! So, I thought it would be a fun thing to share the love and have a wonderful Holiday giveaway on my blog :)

I am giving away this beautiful bright red, black and gold scarf, handmade by me, click here for details about the scarf. Value $35.00.

It is really simple to enter this giveaway :)

Just be a follower on my blog and leave a comment on this posting, you will be entered into the drawing, which will happen on December 12th (in perfect time to arrive before Christmas :)

This scarf is available for purchase if you can't wait for the giveaway :) Check it out here :)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

New Items in my Etsy Shops.

I just wanted to share with you some of the new items I recently listed in my Etsy Shops :)



Click on any of the titles to go to listings :)

Pink Splash 2.



Autumnal Swirl.

Pink Splash, Hope, Dream Love.

Beautiful Red, Black and Gold Scarf.

Baby Soft Orange Hand Knitted Scarf.

Classic Tassel.

I just wanted to take this moment to wish you all a Wonderful, Safe and Happy Thanksgiving :)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

A Bold Red Dining Room!

I have never been afraid of colour, so painting my dining room a strong, bold red was not a problem for me. What does become more of an issue is once the paint is dry how do you bring everything back into the room to make it work as a cohesive whole. I feel I have achieved that by not being intimidated by adding more red on red.


A lot of the furniture in the dining room was inherited and are very precious family heirlooms. I am a great believer in preserving and cherishing the past, especially when it has a direct family connection. I am also not afraid to mix the old and the new, hence my Hubby's laptop sitting on one of the chairs (poor guy has to use the dining room as his office when he works from home, I'm the only spoilt one in the house with my own office :)



I had the dining chairs recovered a few years ago.

I love this antique lace tablecloth. I love to dress the table for the seasons. I also have felt it very important to have candles and flowers on the table at all times. Family meals have been a constant in our lives, I love the chat, the ambiance and the connectivity. I hope our kids continue this tradition.

Everywhere in our home you will find a few Teddy Bears partying, the dining room is no exception. The bench my Hubby and I made a few years ago. I couldn't find what I wanted at the price I wanted to pay. I already had the fabric, it is the same fabric that covers the chairs, my Hubby is handy in the woodworking dept. I found the legs online, bought the foam, I already had the batting, a few (hundred) staples later and viola :) ( oh, of course it wasn't that simple and several swear words were used in the process)

I made the curtains from yet another different fabric but pulling similar shades of the colours in the room already. The tassel was a great find at Tuesday Morning (love that store :)

Some inherited Etchings (Love, Love these) :)

Of course had to have some of my beloved Poppies around :)

More Poppies :)

All around the room we have original paintings and drawings from England, this is our British room. This rendering is of a Pub in my Hubby's hometown.

We all love the ocean and so a little space had to be devoted to part of our family's shell collection. With years of happy memories together on vacation at the beach. :)

Hand drawings of Westminster Abbey and The Tower of London :)

Some of the reading material in our dining room (yep, a bit of a British bias)

And just in case people don't hear me yelling "dinner is ready" I can "gong" them :)

I hope you have enjoyed the little tour of our dining room :)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

"Friday Features"

It's Friday so that means "Features Time!" I am very excited to bring you another talented member of our Etsy community. This week it is a wonderful Jewelry maker, Jenni from; http://www.dutchtouchbeads.etsy.com/

She has kindly answered some questions for us :)

Tell us a little about how you got to where you are creatively.


I fell in love with beads during childhood. I was introduced to elegant seed-beaders and artisan jewelry designers through an interesting choice of recreation on my parent’s part (if you dig in my blog, you'll find the story about that). I was mesmerized by the color and texture of beads. I would save up my allowance and purchase a few beads at gem shows to make necklaces for myself. As I grew older and life revolved around boys, work, college, work then more work. For a long time I did not bead. Then, after my children were born, I began to feel a creative surge and began to bead again. I gave jewelry away for gifts as many in my extended family cherished handmade gifts. Then, after I was laid off from the school district where I was employed this past winter, I had too much time on my hands and found a way to combine my love for creating jewelry with a need to have a purpose, to 'own' something, as I searched for employment and tended my little ones. And so began my journey on Etsy.


Tell us a little about your creative process.

I find inspiration primarily in our natural surroundings. A beautiful sunrise, dragonflies resting on a leaf, or a tree changing color as fall approaches. But, I also try to capture moods. A thoughtful walk on an empty beach, or the feeling of pride when you walk out of an interview knowing you nailed it. These are the images and feelings I take with me into my studio. I then search for just the right elements to capture it.


What do you love about creating?


The escape from all the 'noise' of our modern lives. The ability to drill down and focus on that image or mood and hold it long enough for an expression of art to appear.


Byzantine Bazaar Necklace Set.

Silver Leaf with Amethyst Crystal Earrings.

What is your favorite item in your Etsy store right now?

My necklace & earring set called 'Harvest Moon'

I adore early fall and the transition from the brightness and bold energy of summer, to the softer, yet electric feelings of fall. The full moons of August and September often put on a spectacular show of color, especially early in the moon-rise. I do enjoy a colorful full moon. I used pearls as the spacers because to me, pearls and the moon are uniquely connected.

Why Etsy?

I choose Etsy because it was the largest, most robust market place for handmade goods that I could find on the web. I felt their fee's were fair, I liked the way they help sellers promote and also educate their members about the handmade lifestyle.

What do you love about Etsy?

Undoubtedly the community of Sellers.

What do you do in your spare time?

Spare time? What is that? JK. Etsy is my spare time. I do work nearly full time and I have 2 children under the age of four, so home life is very busy. I work in my shop in the evenings and weekends when the little ones are all tucked in.

Tell us 4 things about yourself that would let us peek into your world or that you think define you.

1). I am an avid soccer enthusiast. (player, coach, spectator)

2). I consider myself to be a naturalist and a humanist.

3). I am considered a bit geeky by some (that love of sci-fi just throws people off)

4). My husband tells me that I have an 'A' type personality; I just can't imagine what he means ;)

If you could, what would be your dream life?

I think I am living parts of it now. I never dreamed I would have children and they are by far my greatest joy. Of course I would love for more financial freedom to enable me to solely pursue my passions, but I suppose the flip side of having exactly what you want is that you lose appreciation for the sweeter things in life, the things that require time and sacrifice. So, all in all, I will just take the life I have now and maybe just one trip to Australia ;)

Cheers ~ Jenni

Here are the fun places you can find Jenni;

Etsy Shop ♥ http://www.DutchTouchBeads.etsy.com/

Blog ♥ http://dutchtouchbeads.blogspot.com/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/dutchtouchbeads

Twitter http://twitter.com/dutchtouchbeads

I hope you enjoyed meeting Jenni! I certainly did. Go check out her shop on Etsy or maybe leave a comment on her blog. :)

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

San Fran Sea Lions!

Even though San Fran. was cloudy on a few afternoons while I was there it did not deter me from going places and taking pictures. I am as fascinated as the next person to go and see the Sea Lions at Pier 39 whenever I am in town and this time was no different, except for the vast numbers of them. Usually there are approx. 300 or so but this year their numbers have swelled to 1500. At Pier 39 they have added 6 extra floating docks to accommodate the population explosion. Nobody can really explain why this has happened or why these mammals make their home there over the Winter.

My money is on this guy being the smart one! (well, who cares about being ostracized when you have to deal with photo below!)

Rather aggressive critters!

The Sea Lions can weigh up to 1,000 pounds (and I thought I was over weight :)

I think I might have all 1500 in this shot :)

Pier 39 is one of San Fran's most popular tourist attractions. I was over the hype the first time I visited but keep going back in the anticipation that things might be a bit different and I don't want to miss anything, typical tourist me :)

Because of the greater numbers of Sea Lions this year there is a turf war going on. The fishermen are not happy and it is swimmer beware! The Sea Lions might look cute but they are carnivores and can be pretty aggressive. The animals are also protected under federal law, so be nice to them or else :)

But truthfully, as much as people are fascinated by these creatures (and yes, I am included) they are very stinky, very aggressive and just steamroller over each other, oh wait a min. they are not too dissimilar to some humans I know (He! He!)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

New Prints in my Etsy Shop!

A few weeks ago, I took the plunge and decided to get some prints made of my original art pieces. Well, that turned out to be way more complicated that I had thought. I have procrastinated on this issue for a long time, sure I have mentioned this before, all about the purist Artist etc, not selling out, Blah! Blah! But as much as I love being an Artist not selling work very often because they are expensive pieces is more of a glorified hobby than a business, as people have constantly asked me to make prints for them ( and yes, I did refuse, idiot :(
I am now realising than I must act more like a business woman with an Artist's heart.

So, eventually, after some failed attempts and some very choice words, I was able to find a printer who could not only capture the colours as a true representation but also the sizes I needed.

So, I am really excited to be able to offer prints of one of my personal favourites of my artwork (which is in our personal collection)

"Spring Blossoms"

Here is a little about "Spring Blossoms" from my Etsy Shop posting :)

The print is professional rendered and reproduced by laser printing on cardstock. I will sign, date and number this print on the back.The print image measures approx. 10" x 8" and fits perfectly into an 11" x 14" matt ready for framing or an 8" x 10" frame. :)

About the original Artwork; "Spring Blossoms" is created on heavy duty watercolour paper, I have built layer after layer of inks to create the depth and movement in this art piece. It is a very bright, joyful piece, it reminds our family of summer afternoons and berries and cream, but I also see a few spring flowers blossoming, hence the title :) The original painting measures approx. 46" x 33" framed.

Here is the link to "Spring Blossoms" I think it is reasonably priced at $18.50. What do you think?

Hope you are having a wonderful start to your week. :)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

The Long and Winding Road to San Fran!

I wanted to pop on to my blog quickly and say "Hi" to everyone.

Given that I am a new Empty Nester and given that I have been a stay at home Mom for the past 25 years I decided to take my new camera (will she ever shut up about that one) and myself on a little road trip to San Fran. to visit my Daughter and take her some of her boxes that were clogging up our attic. I also took some of my art work to hang on the walls in her new apartment.

My Daughters fav. of my art pieces "Raspberry Delight"

And for their Living Room "Waves and Mountains"

I had a really great trip (more about that another day!) Lots of Mother/Daughter bonding, lots of wine drinking, eating outside, walks by the bay in the sunshine..............

And yes, I did take a ridiculous amount of photos, I will share some soon.

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

Westminster Chimes!

Good Morning! :) I am so glad the rain has stopped for a few days! YAY!

I have been out taking photos with my new camera, the Nikon D90. Well, what a lot of fun I am having. Although the weather has been overcast and rather gloomy I figured why not give the camera a real challenge, if it could take reasonable photos in gloomy light what would it take in perfect sunlight (I am going to have to wait 'til next Spring, here in the Northwest, to find that one out :(

The challenge I am finding right now is that the camera is a lot heavier than my little Canon point and shoot, especially with the larger zoom lens. Everything I am taking is on auto for now. There are so many things to learn, it will be a while before I am up to taking photos on manual.

Because the camera is so heavy, taking photos of objects above is pretty tricky but I wanted to share these with you, they are not stunning just a work in progress.

This clock and fountain are outside the gym where I go to workout. It chimes every quarter and on the hour the fill Westminster Chimes. This is at once both a happy and sad thing for me. It reminds me how far I am from my beloved London and also, evokes in me the memories of some great times living in London.

When you come out of the underground station across the street from "Big Ben" you step out into the sunshine (it always has to be sunshine in our memories) and are instantly in awe of its beauty. It is to me a strong permanent physical reminder of my British heritage.

Although this clock doesn't look like "Big Ben" and of course the rush and noise of the London streets is nowhere around, I can close my eyes when this clock chimes and pretend I am standing beneath the real thing. :)

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.

Giveaway Day is Here Again!!!!!!

We have 3 Winners !!!


I am so excited to announce the winners in my 5th Giveaway on PoppyPlacePdx!!!!!

..........................................(silent drum roll) .................................................

The winners are **** Recreational Art and Cinnamon Spice ****

They each win a print of my original artwork "Pretty In Pink."

Recreational Art just blogged about it :) YAY!!!!!!

Congrats to you both! :)

And then, Misty Ridge won the beautiful original art piece "Waiting for Spring" by Stacey Merrill in the Oct 23rd "Friday Features" segment on my blog.

So, congrats to Misty Ridge.

I would like to thank everyone who participated, commented on my blog, went to my Etsy shops, hearted them and everyone who is now following my blogs :)

It is such a great way to make connections with fellow Etsians and I love reading other people's blogs!

There is so much great talent out there. Watch out for next month's giveaway!

Happy Painting/Creating! :) T.