I’m Ready for Fall!

The forecast for today is 103 not including a heat index. UGH. I’m ready for fall – my favorite season!

 

Fall – “Happy-Harvest” Handmade Card  by Charlene Bodero

“Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.”  William Cullen Bryant

I love fall decorations. I always buy real, small pumpkins and gourds to put with some real, large veggies in a table centerpiece.

Leather Mini-Notebook Cover – “Autumn Willow”  by Ray Anthony

“Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees.” Faith Baldwin

I love all things that have to do with writing, lists, notebooks, pens, pencils…. This notebook cover simply makes me drool!

“Petite-Jean-in-the-Fall”-Original-Oil  by Martha Dollar Efurd

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower” Albert Camus

Leaves turning bright colors in a last hurrah each year makes my spirits soar. My energy level increases. I actually WANT to work in the yard again!

Gourd – Hand Painted – “Fall-Leaves”by Linda Lewis

“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools.”  Henry Beston

I can’t wait to get out my hoodies, sweaters, and scarves for the fall season!

It’s almost here! Happy Fall, Y’all!

“Fruit-Harvest”

 

Martha Dollar Efurd gives us our “Featured Piece of the Day” on Creative Artworks! -

 

 

Tile – Ceramic – “Fruit-Harvest” by Martha Dollar Efurd

Honestly, my mouth waters when I see this ceramic tile Martha painted. The fruit looks delicious, doesn’t it?

This is a one-of-a-kind hand painted 8×8 ceramic tile by Martha Dollar Efurd. Luscious grapes, a juicy peach, a ripe, red apple, and a deep purple plum will look beautiful in your kitchen or on the buffet in your dining room. Put it on a table easel to grace your mantle or a side table.

A wonderful fall decoration!

See all of Martha Dollar Efurd’s work on Creative Artworks HERE

“Elegant Table” Handmade Card

Charlene Bodero gives us our “Featured Piece of the Day” on Creative Artworks! -

 

Fall – “Elegant-Table” Handmade Greeting Card by Charlene Bodero

Isn’t this card delicious? Now is the time to order as many of these handmade cards by Charlene Bodero to send to friends and family as fall approaches. It really starts getting you into the mood for the holidays, doesn’t it!

Elegant Table Setting In Fall Colors. Stamp Designed by: Northwoods. Card Created by: Moose Twinkle.

Please allow approximately 1 week for delivery.

These are blank on the inside for your message.

Charlene makes Christmas cards, too, plus beautiful cards for all your card giving needs.

See all of Charlene’s beautiful work on Creative Artworks HERE

“Beautiful Leaves” ArtFire Collection

Zoraida, of the ArtFire shop of the same name, created a luscious “Beautiful Leaves” collection of products by ArtFire artisans.

“Beautiful Leaves” ArtFire Collection

She kindly included my hand painted “Autumn Leaves” tote bag in her collection!

Hand Painted Tote Bag – “Autumn Leaves” by Linda Lewis

Zoraida creates unique, ethnic inspired jewelry made with copper, brass, silver, and semiprecious stones.

I particularly like this pair of earrings!

Rustic Brass & Copper Earrings

Aren’t they rich-looking?

See all of Zoraida’s gorgeous jewelry HERE

THANK YOU, Zoraida, for including my tote bag in your ArtFire Collection. I’m more than ready for fall, and your collection made me drool!

“Autumn’s Glory”

 

“Autumn’s-Glory”-Handmade- Wreath by Nora Ruth

Isn’t this a glorious wreath? Can you imagine your guests’ reaction when they walk up to your front door?

This is the “Featured Piece of the Day” on Creative Artworks!

Nora Ruth creates gorgeous wreaths for all the seasons of the year,  holidays, plus some beautiful ‘birth month’ wreaths that make gifts the recipients can enjoy year after year!

A fabulous wreath on your front door gives a wonderful first impression.  A festive wreath enables you to embrace each season or holiday, dressing up your home to look its best!

See Nora’s lovely wreaths on Creative Artworks :

• In the “Season” categories
• In the “Holiday” categories

See all of Nora Ruth’s work on Creative Artworks HERE

“Fall-Seascape”-Print

 

Derek McCrea gives us our “Featured Piece of the Day” on Creative Artworks! -

“Fall-Seascape”-Print by Derek McCrea 

I can almost hear the birds calling! Can you feel the wind in your face?

I can’t say enough about Derek’s work. I love his watercolors especially. I’m in awe of anyone who can paint water or snow or rain, and this print gives you a sample of Derek’s talent.

Whether you’re looking for a gift for someone for an upcoming occasion, or whether you’re looking for a new focus for your home or office, you’ll find  Derek’s prints mouth-watering.

These are 11 x 14 limited edition prints.

See all of Derek McCrea’s prints on Creative Artworks HERE

“Fernly Gorgeous” ArtFire Collection

Erin, of AvalonFlowers on ArtFire, created a collection of products by ArtFire artisans featuring ferns called, “Fernly Gorgeous.”

I’m delighted that she included my stamped, hand painted, personalized note cards!

Note-Cards-”Fern”-Set-of-5 by Linda Lewis

Erin has a beautiful shop called AvalonFlowers on ArtFire. She offers a treasure trove of finished headbands and beautiful handmade flowers you can buy for any project!

A sample of Erin’s work is Autumn Mix 20 piece set of Silk Ranunculus Flower Appliques

These make my mouth water! My mind is racing around, trying to figure out how I can use these! BEAUTIFUL!

Visit Erin’s shop AvalonFlowers to see pretty, feminine flowered headbands for yourself, your daughter, or your granddaughter. Choose gorgeous handmade flowers for current or new projects. Erin also offers to make custom flowers if what you’d like isn’t available. All you need to do is email her and see if she can fill your needs.

THANK YOU, Erin, for including my work in your collection. I’m so glad I found your ArtFire site!

Fall’s Last Gift

Sometimes, just when I’m feeling  ’down’ for no discernible reason I can put my finger on, I receive an unexpected gift.

Today it was a gorgeous deep purple bearded iris blooming for the second time this year, plus a perfect Rio Samba rose that my husband brought in from our yard.

  I’m not a photographer, but I think you can get an   idea of how pretty the flowers are from this.

The Rio Samba rose is a never-ending pleasure. It  starts out as a coral bud. It blooms into a bright  yellow wide open bloom, then slowly turns coral.  At any one time, it looks like there are three colors  of roses on one bush!

So far, we haven’t had a hard freeze here in  Arkansas, but it’s coming soon. We have some  more buds on several bushes, and I’m hoping we  get more blooms before the season is over.

We lucked into the twice blooming iris. My  favorite color is the deepest purple there is. We  got some truly mouth-watering deep purple iris  one year, and then were astonished when some of  them bloomed in the fall, after we thought they  were finished in the spring!

Now we’re thoroughly spoiled, EXPECTING the  gift, unless we have an early freeze.

We have some geraniums on the deck that are loving the cooler weather, too, so it’s a pleasure to walk around the house admiring the few hardy souls we have left.

We had to stop our irrigation system for the season about a week ago, when a freeze was threatening. It’s a pretty laborious process to turn it all off and drain the pipes and hoses, so we figure it’s better to be early than risk losing our system.

Here’s one more picture of the flowers. I hope you can get a sense of how beautiful their display is.

I also hope that YOU have a few flowers that are continuing to give you pleasure right up until the first freeze of the season.

 

“Autumn Leaves Drift by My Window” ArtFire Collection

Cheryl Lamon, a fellow artisan on ArtFire, created this beautiful collection of ArtFire offerings called, “Autumn Leaves Drift by My Window.”

“Autumn Leaves Drift by my Window” ArtFire Collection

She very kindly included my hand painted fall gourd called, “Fall Leaves.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheryl has a WONDERFUL ArtFire shop called Cheryl’s Fabric Garden. Cheryl creates functional things like aprons, tableware, and handbags, but also garden flower wall hangings, adding yoyos, beads and buttons. Oh, this is a lady after my own heart, sharing a love of flowers and bright colors!

I couldn’t decide which of her products was my favorite, so I’ll show you two:

This is a wall hanging called Yellow Daisy Wall Hanging with Blue Batik Border – 56 X 37

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this one is a table runner or wall hanging called, Handmade Pinwheel Table Runner or Wall Hanging from Batiks 22 X 51

 

 

Visit  Cheryl’s  store to see  the rest of    her  beautiful  work! What  a  treasure trove!

 

THANK YOU, Cheryl, for including my gourd in your nice collection!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Leaves

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it – particularly the very welcome cooling temperatures making me feel ‘alive’ again after the hot summer. I love to wear decorative scarves, and I’m relishing the wonderful variety of colorful accents I can add to my plain blouses, shirts, and tees.

Hand Painted Tote Bag – “Autumn Leaves” by Linda Lewis

"Autumn Leaves" Tote Bag

 

The bright colors of the leaves lifts my spirits like nothing else. I tried to capture some of my feelings while painting this tote.

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” Stanley Horowitz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Autumn-in-the-North-Country”-Original-Pastel-Painting by Nora Ruth

I simply get lost in the beauty of this, particularly coming out from under the ‘heat dome’ that was over Arkansas this summer.  This glorious painting makes me say, “AHHHHHH!”

Vase – Hand Painted – Round –   “Autumn-Leaves” by Linda          Lewis

I love to put tall sprays of  grasses in a vase to bring  some of the fall inside.

“Autumn is a second  spring  where every leaf  is a flower.”  Albert  Camus

 

“The Leaves fall, the  wind blows, and the  farm country slowly  changes from the  summer cottons into  its winter wools.”  Henry Beston  

 

This is a handmade card by Charlene Bodero. I love the 3-dimensional effects!

Fall – “Happy-Harvest” by Charlene Bodero

 

 

 

 

One of the wonderful things about fall is fresh, crunchy  apples!  I painted this apron to celebrate the wonderful  fruit of autumn.

Apron – “Fresh-Crunchy-Apples” by Linda Lewis

 

“A woodland in full color is awesome as a forest  fire, in  magnitude, at least, but a single tree is like  a dancing  tongue of flame to warm the heart.” Hal  Borland

I wish you a fall full of temperatures cool enough for open windows and doors, and an attic fan at night; enough blankets to snuggle down into, cozy and warm; layers of clothes and scarves so you feel comfortable, maybe a nice fire in the fireplace…

HAPPY FALL!

 

 

 

 

“Putting Pen to Paper” ArtFire Collection!

A very nice lady created a new collection from the artisans of ArtFire called, “Putting Pen to Paper.”

Putting Pen to Paper ArtFire Collection

 ”Putting Pen to Paper” ArtFire Collection by CactusCroneCreations

She very kindly included my hand painted “Fall Leaves” Stationery in the collection!

Stationery - Pkg/10 - "Fall Leaves" by Linda Lewis

Note-Cards-or-Stationery-”Fall Leaves”

She has a very nice ArtFire shop called “Cactus Crone Creations” where she offers really gorgeous Southwestern type jewelry.

I really love these earrings -

Faceted Blue Skies Quartz with Faceted Crystal Earrings

Aren’t these stunning?             You can find them here

Please visit her Cactus Crone Creations shop and enjoy looking at all the luscious jewelry.

Cactus Crone Creations

THANK YOU for including my stationery in your beautiful “Putting Pen to Paper” ArtFire Collection!

A Red Letter Day

If you try to create handmade products, you’ll well understand how much work goes into one. It’s a very personal thing, although you ‘try’ to stay objective about it.

I’ve been SO excited about fall finally coming to the former ‘heat dome’ that has included Arkansas that I’ve been dreaming about painting a tote bag with a whole pile of fallen leaves at the peak of their color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a GREAT time working on this. I started with a natural beige canvas tote. I kept drawing leaves until I couldn’t fit anymore on one side of the tote. Then I painted the background of the tote a rich brown. If you’ve painted on fabric, you know that it’s a really good idea to let each color dry before starting another one so they don’t bleed into each other.

The next day I used a nice copper paint, then carefully used the other colors. I let everything dry again and then used black to draw veins on leaves and outlined the copper leaves with it. I then used purple to draw in some shadows, trying to make the leaves pop out from the background. I then sponged on some black onto the background to add some texture. I outline the orange leaves with gold, so there’s a really nice three-dimensional quality.

As I do very often, I sent a picture of the still drying tote to my friend Sandi to see what she’d say. Since her comments were really encouraging, I listed the tote on my website, Creative Artworks, and my stores on Etsy and ArtFire.

I checked my email about an hour later and a nice lady had bought the tote!

When someone likes your work enough to buy it, there is no larger compliment. Every time this happens I walk around about 3 inches off the ground for a couple of days, breaking out in a grin from time to time.  After I ship my work, there is still some uncertainty that my customer will be disappointed for some reason. So it’s doubly wonderful when I get feedback that the actual product was nicer ‘in person’ than the picture showed. :0)

I have to tell you that I have NEVER sold something while the paint was still drying! I’m still elated over it. I’ve spent the day, now that the paint IS dry, spraying it with Scotchgard to protect the tote from stains. Tonight I’ll pack it up carefully with the note I wrote the NICE lady. It will be on its way to her tomorrow, and the jitters will stay until I make sure it arrived safely and she is pleased.

What a joy it is to have the freedom and time to try to create things people might enjoy. When my work makes someone else happier, the circle is closed.  What a LUCKY lady I am!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Fall, Y’all!

I can’t tell you how MUCH I’m embracing the cooler weather in Arkansas this year. We’ve been under the ‘heat dome,’ like so many others this summer, and I’m delighted that we can finally open the windows and doors, turn on the attic fan at night and actually be too cold!!!!! What a TREAT!

 

This beautiful felted bowl is by Sandi Myers. It’s called, “Autumn Sunset.” http://bit.ly/pJJK0G If you’d like to see more of Sandi’s felted bowls, click on this link http://bit.ly/q7PgKg    

 

 

“Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.”  William Cullen Bryant

 

 

This wreath is handmade by Nora Ruth. The name of it is “Autumn’s Glory.”  You can have it on YOUR door, welcoming your visitors for the fall season! http://bit.ly/nOgrnS              

 

 

 

“Autumn is a second spring where  every leaf is a flower” Albert Camus

 

You’ll be proud to set your autumn      table with these gorgeous hand painted  ”Autumn  Trees” glasses by Rebecca  Kelman! My mouth waters just looking at  them!  http://bit.ly/oB4tRd

 

 

 

 

This is one of my hand painted journals. The front and back covers of the journal are made of heavy cardboard material. There are ‘pockets’ inside made from manila folder type paper. You can keep pictures, drawings, tickets, brochures, coupons, and more. Use it as a regular journal, a travel album, or an organizer. This one is called, “Bronze Leaves.” http://bit.ly/pIIMxH

 

 

 

 

“Fiery colors begin their yearly    conquest of the hills, propelled by the  autumn winds. Fall is the artist.”  Takayuki Ikkaku

I love this hand painted “Fruit  Harvest”  ceramic tile by Martha  Dollar Efurd. It  would look beautiful  in your kitchen or  the buffet in your  dining room, or you  could put in on a  table  easel. http://bit.ly/qSVYsG

 

“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.”

John Burroughs

 

I just finished painting this “Fallen Leaves” tote bag. I love all the colorful leaves! http://bit.ly/rt78YE

“Falling leaves hide the path so quietly.” John Bailey

 

If you’d like to see more of what Creative Artworks has to offer to help you embrace the fall season, please click on this link http://bit.ly/n0v61C

We'd love it if you would come visit when you have the time. :0) http://bit.ly/hf683m 

 

 

 

Take Advantage of September Card Sale!

Charlene Bodero makes cards one at a time, by hand, that will knock your socks off.  She offers cards for every holiday or reason for sending a card. The biggest problem I, personally, have with the cards I’ve bought from Charlene is that some of them are SO cute I don’t want to give them up!

“Go Ask Alice” Greeting Card

For the month of September, Charlene is offering a special sale on her handmade cards - “Buy 2 – Get One Free”

You’ll have to hurry, though. You only have until September 30th to take advantage of this.

You can choose from ANY of her cards in ANY of the sections on Creative Artworks. Simply choose one of the “Buy 2 – Get One Free” items, check out on the site as usual, and type in your choice of the THREE cards you’d like in the “Special Comments” section of the shopping cart (the page AFTER you input your billing and shipping addresses.

You can get as many cards as you’d like. For example, if you type in “5″ in the Quantity box, you can type in the names of 15 cards!

“Easter Tulip and Decorated Eggs”

Charlene’s cards are in many sections of Creative Artworks:

CARDS -Christmas – Hanukkah – New Year’s

EASTER – ST PATRICK’S DAY – VALENTINE’S DAY

FALL!

Graduation – Teacher Cards and Gifts

Greeting Cards – Handmade – Enclosure Cards

HALLOWEEN – THANKSGIVING

MOTHER’S DAY – FATHER’S DAY

Stationery – Note Cards

SUMMER!

Weddings – Anniversaries

WINTER!

“Halloween – Spooky Creatures”

Get some paper and a pen and go to  http://www.creativeartworks.cc/a_267.html where you can see all of Charlene’s cards.

As you see something you like, jot down the item number or the name of the card.

Figure out how many special “Buy 2 – Get one Free” items you want to buy, and then put that number in the quantity box. Type the names or numbers of the cards you’d like and check out as usual.

ENJOY this special sale! It’s the perfect time to stock up for all occasions: birthday, get well, thinking of you, seasonal cards, anniversary or wedding cards -

As always, if you have questions or need help, write me at linda@creativeartworks.cc

Happy September!