I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Do you ever have to say these words to yourself when you are up against something difficult. I know I say them, and I often say a prayer as well. I can't tell you how many times I have to say that prayer when I am working on a painting. There are many times when I am trying to figure something out, how to do this or how to do that, what color to use, what to add, what not to add, it can be overwhelming and truthfully I feel like giving up. I have felt this way about selling on Etsy, when I am working hard and and no one is buying, I think, "why am I doing this"? Am I wasting my time and efforts, maybe there is another avenue I should take. The bottom line is I love painting, I love taking one thing and making it into something different. Isn't that what we do when we craft? If it is sewing, you take a flat piece of fabric and make it into something different, something with dimension, something with purpose. If it is making jewelry, you take a little of this and a little of that and make it into a thing of beauty that someone will enjoy wearing. If it is altered art, you take a piece of this and a piece of that and make into a beautiful art form. If it is painting, you add a little of this color and a little of that color and turn a piece of wood, canvas or metal into a work of art. Anyway, somewhere along the line most of us become discouraged for one reason or another and want to give up or wonder if it is worth it. It is usually at this time that something or someone comes along to encourage us. Maybe it's a customer who loves what we made, or maybe it someone who tells us what a wonderful job we do. Or maybe it's that sell that comes in the nick of time. Or maybe it's something that I haven't listed here but has come to you at just the right time, when you needed it.
Maybe you are at this juncture like I am and need a little encouragement. I hope and pray it comes your way. I know it will come my way because it always does. God knows when to send it and He knows when and how to send it to you too. Don't give up, keep going, you never know what is around that next corner. It could be the biggest success you have known to date. I hope it is. Pin It Now!

How to paint peppermint.

Did you guess the mystery photo was unfinished peppermint candies and sticks? I love painting peppermints, they are easy to paint and always look so colorful. I added a video clip at the end to help with the shading and high lighting. When I taught, I found this was the hardest part for a student but once they watched me do the shading and high lighting they were able to pick it up pretty quickly and move on. If you are not sure how to shade or high light I hope it will help you. If you appreciate this "how to" please leave a comment and let me know. Let's get started...

I cut my peppermint candies from a 1¼ inch dowel. I use a table saw to cut them. Most of you may not have a table saw but don’t worry I have a solution for that. You can purchase 1 inch flat head plugs at Lowes for these candies. Here we go…

Supplies:
1 inch flat head plugs from Lowes.
¼ dowel rod cut at 3 inch lengths
Small eye screws (you can find those at Lowes too)
Homespun fabric ripped into small strips (coffee stained for that prim look)

Americana Paints: Buttermilk, Country Red, Warm White, Black Plum, Burnt Umber





Base your peppermints (both the candy and the stick) with Buttermilk. Once it is dried, lightly sketch in your lines for the red paint. I like to draw a line vertically and horizontally through the center. The red part of the peppermint candies are a little curved like a fan shape and are divided into to four parts of the circle. Once you have your lines in, use the Country Red to paint in those four sections. You will need at least two coats for a good coverage. With a liner brush (#01) add the small thin line that goes between the peppermint sections. It should be looking like a peppermint candy.



With Black Plum, shade the bottom part of the red sections. Use a float shade so it is light and not heavy. Once that is dried, shade the edge of the peppermint with Burnt Umber. This is also a float shade. Let that dry. Now you are going to put the shine on the candy piece. Use the Warm White for this. Float the Warm White around the candy, toward the edge of the candy, don’t get to close to the edge though. You want it above the shaded area. Now dot the center with Black Plum.


For the peppermint stick. Once it is base coated, use the liner brush with some Country Red and with a light hand (so the line is not to thick) spiral the paint down the dowel from the top to the bottom. You will probably have to load your brush two or three times. Once that is dried, water down some Burnt Umber, I add this wash around the top and bottom and kind of hit and miss it on the rest of the stick. Float a high light of Warm White down two sides of the stick for that peppermint shine.

Add the eye screw to the top of the stick and to the candy, add the homespun tie and you are done.





I made this video to demonstrate how to shade and high light the peppermint. Don't let my sweet southern accent surprise you. I grew up a Southern Girl, traveled the world with my Air Force husband (and he's still my sweetheart)and then settled down in beautiful Virginia...still a Southern Girl. I hope this short clip is a help to you.

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What happened???

I apologize for keeping you waiting on the tutorial. We had unexpected guest arrive, well we knew they were coming but didn't know exactly when. My house was a mess from all my crafting and the spare bedroom was full of my finished items for Etsy. Needless to say I had to take a couple of days to clean my house and especially clear out the spare bedroom. We had the best time time while they were here. I hate it when they had to leave. Also, I've had orders to get out and trying to finish items for the Holiday Celebration with the Old Farmhouse Gathering Team on Etsy. It's been a whirlwind. But I am back on track and working to finish this tutorial. I have the instructions written and most of the pics taken. I need to redo some of the photos. I will finish the tutorial this evening and have it posted by the morning. Please stay tuned. I hope it will be worth it. Pin It Now!

Coming soon

I have been sooo busy working on items for my Etsy shop that I haven't had time to play on the computer. I am also working on a new How To for you. Can you tell what it will be from the photo. I hope to have it loaded on the site by Wednesday so stay tuned. It will of course be a painting lesson. And all you who say you can't paint....maybe this will change your mind and you will give it a try. Pin It Now!

Cold And Rainy

It is a cold and rainy day here in Northern Virginia. Just the kind of weather that makes me want to stay in and paint. But the day is half spent and I still haven't entered my studio. But the day has not been a total loss. I had an hour long (plus) phone visit with a wonderful friend. I managed to rid most of the corners of the family room and dining room of dust bunnies (may they RIP). And the rest of the time I have been on the computer. But that wasn't a waste either. I worked on my blog graphics and my son, Nick, who is also the webmaster for Aly's Room (my pattern website) showed me how to make a pdf... that was interesting! So all in all, it has been a productive day so far. By the way, visit Nick (known Nick the Geek on the air waves) at his blog. You will find it in my blog list as "my experience as a youth pastor".
Cold and rainy weather is also makes me want to bake. If that is the case with you too, here's a pumpkin bread recipe that is one of the best I've ever had. Bake it up the next time your day is cold and rainy.




Pumpkin Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can of solid packed pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar


Combine dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl combine the oil, water, pumpkin, eggs and apple cider vinegar. Mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and mix until moistened. Pour into 2 large bread loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove and cool on wire racks.

****When I bake sweet breads I use a non-stick bread loaf pan. I grease and flour it when a recipe calls for such. When the bread is done and taken from the oven I let it cool for 5 minutes and then shake the pan back and forth lightly til the bread is released from the pan. I then let it continue to cool for the additional 5 minutes in the pan. I haven’t had to worry about it sticking to the pan and coming out all crumbled when I turn it out on the wire rack....just a little tid-bit for you. Try it and see if it works for you. **** Pin It Now!

Fading...

Summer is certainly fading here in Northern Virginia. My roses are beginning to look spent, the hydrangeas are looking tired and ready for a long winters nap, the vibrant colors of the carpet flowers are dimming. It's kind of sad to say goodbye till next spring. Watching them go sends a shiver up my spine knowing that snow will be on its way soon....brrr!






But the mums and asters are in their glory right now. Oh my, are they ever adding a sparkle to my landscape! I actually have 4 different colors planted. They always seem to have a smile on their face, maybe it's because they are colorful and cheery.


The sweet little Border collie in the picture, well, that's SadieMae. She from a Border collie rescue center and has been a part of our family for a little over a year. She had "issues" when she came to make her home with us but she's come a long way, that's evident in her sitting still long enough for a picture. She's a ball of energy from sunup to sundown. She loves to play Frisbee and is pretty good at it. I try to play Frisbee with her 3 or 4 time a day just to wear some of her energy down and of course keep her in good shape. She is a sweetheart! It took a while for her to learn to trust people again, especially strangers. Living in a safe environment has helped with most of her "issues" and some, well, we've learned to just forgive because that's how she treats us....with acceptance and forgiveness.
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Finally!

Last week I showed a picture of an item I was working on. I finally finished it today. I had it painted last week but put the finishing touches on it this afternoon. Sometimes I wish I had more hours in my day to finish all the projects I start. I remember my mom and a few of my teachers telling me to finish what I start. It's not always easy with all the interruptions that happen through out the day. Admit it, we are busy people and if you are a crafter or artist you probably have a full time job at home or away from your home and finding time to create something special isn't always easy. I tend to work in blocks of time. Work 2 hours then take a break to work on laundry, vaccuum the floor or dust; start dinner or run an errand, then work another 2 hours and do another chore. What about you? How do you manage to get it all done? Or maybe...I'm guessing you have a few unfinished projects as well.

I need to take more quiet times to enjoy a cuppa cinny tea like this ginger. This is a Terrye French design I painted on a 1x10 board, I then added a slate, some rusy nails and a bucket that holds the chalk and eraser.

click on the picture to enlarge.


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Jack-O-Lantern Pokes.

Here is the "How To" lesson for this week. I hope it was worth the wait. I appreciate your comments on this piece. Let me know what you think. Also, please be mindful of the copyright. Do not sell this pattern on any website or mail order. And please ask for permission to use it outside the parameters of The Old Cupboarddoor. Make as many as you like to sale for craft shows or your online craft shop or give as gifts. The is copyrighted by Aly's Room and expressly prohibits commercial production/reproduction.

Jack-o-Lantern Pokes:

Supplies:
2 ½ inch Styrofoam ball
Black felt
All purpose joint compound (premixed) You can find this at Walmart. Hang on to it because I will be showing you another “How To” using this joint compound.
Wooden skewer sticks
Assorted fabric strips (coffee stained and stiffened. If you don’t know how to do this refer to the previous “how to”)
Scissors,
Thread and needle
Sewing machine,
Painting spatula or large craft stick
Ultra fine black Sharpie Pen
Pencil
Moss
Cinnamon stick
Rusty bells
Rusty pins (large or small, your preference)
Tags ( I used round)
Disposable cup with water
Hot glue
Americana paint colors: Buttermilk, Lamp Black, Burn Orange, Marigold, Brandy Wine


Directions: Push the sharp end of the skewer into the Styrofoam ball. Push it in about half way through the ball. Now, remove it and add just a little hot glue into the hole and push the skewer back in. With the spatula or craft stick, stir the joint compound until it is creamy.



With the spatula/craft stick add a layer of the compound to the Styrofoam ball. Don’t make it too thick or it will take a long time to dry and don’t make it so thin that you see the Styrofoam. Smooth it out but don’t worry about making it too smooth, that will come with the next step. Push the stick down into a piece of floral foam to hold it. Let it dry 20-30 minutes and then smooth it out.


To smooth it, put some water into the disposable cup, dip your finger into the water and begin smoothing the compound. I find it helps to tap the compound lightly with my finger. I don’t mind a few bumps in the texture, it gives it character. Once you have it as smooth as you want, push the stick back into the floral foam. It will take several hours to dry. I recommend letting it dry overnight.


Once it is dry, paint the ball with Burnt Orange, paint the skewer with Lamp Black. Once the paint is dry, draw in the eyes, nose and mouth with a pencil. Don’t press to hard. Now paint in the nose, mouth and eyes. Try to make each one different. Mine all have teeth but I have done some with the tradition faces and they turn out really cute. Use your imgination. Paint the teeth with Buttermilk and line the spaces between them with Charcoal. Use Lamp Black or Marigold for the nose and eyes. Use Brandy Wine for blushing the cheeks. Do this with a dry brush technique. ( see end note for the dry brush technique). Dot the cheek and eyes with a small dot of Buttermilk. I use a small stylus for this.

On the guy that has the cinnamon stick at the top of the head, use a small knife and carefully dig down into the Styrofoam. Don’t make the hole too big, it’s best to start small. Once you have a small hole, carefully push the cinnamon stick down into the Styrofoam. Hot glue into place. Hot glue some moss around the cinnamon stick. It should be glued to the top of the head and not the cinnamon stick. NOTE: I used half a stick of cinnamon.






Witch hat: Cut pattern out from black felt. Fold the body of the hat together and sew a seam on the seam line (1/4 inch) indicated on the pattern. Turn right side out. With right sides together hand sew the body of the hat to the brim.

Top hat: Cut pattern out from black felt. Fold the body of the hat together and sew a seam on the seam lines (1/4 inch) indicated on the pattern. Turn right side out. With right sides together hand sew the body of the hat to the brim. Hand sew the top piece to the top of the hat.
Hot glue the hats on.

Please click on pattern to print at full size.

Letter the tags with an ultra fine Sharpie. Antique the tags using your favorite antiquing technique. I antique them using brown paste shoe polish like Kiwi. I love using this because it has a wax in it that helps protect the tag. Just rub a little onto the tags, front and back. For each Jack-o-Lantern, tie a homespun tie around the neck and hot glue into place. Pull a small piece of homespun through the tag and tie once, then add a bell by pulling it onto the fabric (this is why the homespun piece needs to be thin), tie once, then tie it around the stick so it is placed under the neck. But use your imagination, you can connect it at the top with a pin (like the Jack-o-Lantern Spooky).




“How to dry brush”: I use a small stencil brush for blushing cheeks. Barely dip the bristles into the paint and then dab, dab, dab the brush onto your palette (if you don’t have a palette, use a paper plate or a piece of freezer paper). You still have too much paint on your brush! Now rub most of the paint off on a paper towel. This is much like preparing your brush for stenciling. Softly begin to add the paint to the cheeks by gently scrubbing the area with your brush. The trick is to use a very light touch and add more pressure if you need more paint. Be careful you don’t want the paint heavy.
Hope you enjoyed this project. If you did would you please drop me a note and let me know. Thanks bunches.

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Pumpkin Pancakes

We love this recipe around our house all year long. It's our all time favorite from all the pumpkin pancake mixes we have tried and we have tried several. Maybe it's the apple cider vinegar in this recipe that makes them nice and fluffy, they always turn out perfectly. Enjoy them with your regular syrup or for a real treat use some real whipped cream, a dash of nutmeg and a few chopped pecans. Any remaining put into a baggy and refrigerate to be enjoyed the next day. Or, you can put them in the freezer for a few weeks. Go on, give it a try and let me know what you think.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 1/2 cup of milk
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Combine the dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl mix the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Add the dry ingredients and stir until this mixture is integrated but don't over stir. Add a scoop of the pancake mixture to a heated, oiled griddle. Brown one side and then flip to brown the other. Enjoy with your syrup or add whipped cream, a dash of nutmeg and some chopped pecans. Pin It Now!

Another Peek.

Thursday I went to the local orchard and picked up a couple of buschels of apples. Last night I put a batch in the dehydrator to make dried apples...mmmmm, they are so yummmy. The dried apples are great for making pies, adding to bread and pancakes and just for snacking on. Today my Sweetie and I are making apple butter in the crock pot. It's a long process but so much easier than doing it on the stove. Our family loves apple butter so we will be making tons of pints of it. We put a batch on in the morning and then another batch on in the evening. It takes several days to finish it all but come winter time that apple butter will taste scrumptous on a hot biscuit or piece of toast.

Here's another peek at the Tutorial that is on its way. I'm loading pics today and will upload the lesson on Monday...gotta give you something to look forward too.

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Where Did This Week Go?

I can't believe it's Friday already. Where did this week go? I have so many projects on my plate for this week and I haven't finished half of them. Does this ever happen to you? I take a little time to do this or do that and before I know it the day is gone and I haven't accomplished what I intended. I really need to manage my time better. I'm working on it.

Here's another sneak peek at the "how to" I am working on. Stay tuned.

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Tutorial On The Way

I've been working on another "How To". It's been a little time consuming and working on items for my Etsy shop has put me a couple of days behind. I will load it this weekend and have it ready to go on the blog Monday. Here's a peek at it...can you guess what it is from this picture?


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A Few Of My Favorite Things:

I love painting on shoes, boots, ice skates.... They always come out so interesting. Last year I painted on a high-heeled ankle boot with a turned down cuff. I painted a Wynter scene and added the words "City side walk, busy side walk..." for the city gals. It was such a neat piece. I did it for a craft show I was doing and sadly I did not take a pic. I so wish I had kept that boot because I can not find another pair of boots like it. I sell what I make thinking I can always make one for myself later but that's not the case this time. I like this sweet little boot too. These childrens boots make the best night-lights, I just love painting them. This one is going on Etsy, as much as I like it, I'll do one for myself later...I hope. Til next time!

This sweet design is by Terrye French.
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How to Stiffen Prim Fabric Ties

I use a lot of homespun strips for ties. I like top prim them with coffee stain and cinnamon. I also like them to have some stiffness to them. So many steps for doing this and so little time. Anytime I can shorten a step or two on my crafting, I’m all for it. So this is how I prim and stiffen at the same time.



Step 1: Gather the supplies you will need.
Cookie sheet and wax paper
Elmers White Glue
Cinnamon and instant coffee
A medium sized plastic container with lid (I use a large yogurt container)
Homespun rag strips.

Step 2: I use 3 tablespoons of instant coffee to 1 cup of hot water.
(I usually do 2 cups and keep any reserve in a plastic bottle)
Stir the coffee mix well so all the granules are dissolved. Per each cup of water you use, add 3 tablespoons of Elmer’s White Glue. Stir well.

The mix should look like this.

Add your rag ties, several at a time. No need to let them soak, this is a strong mixture. Wring fluid out of the ties.

Step 4: Lay the ties out on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Step 5: Place in an over that has been preheated to 270-280 degrees. How long you leave it in the oven depends on your oven since ovens vary in their temps. I leave mine in for 12 minutes. Start at 10 minutes and check, leave them in if they are still wet. Please don’t leave them unattended, believe me they will start to smoke if they get to hot. Remove them from the oven when they are dry to the touch.

Step 6: Let them sit for a few minutes before and then remove them from the cookie sheet. They should be pretty stiff. Add a little extra cinnamon for that wonderful cinnamon scent. Store them in a zip-lock bag.

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What I am working on today.

Last week I was rummaging through some of the piles of craft stuff I can't bear to throw away and came across several slates that I bought a few years ago. I'm going to use at least one of them today. This is what I'm working on. The design is a Terrye French piece. I'll post a pic when I'm done.

BTW...I have so much craft stuff stacking up in my basement, I need to go through it and get rid of a lot of it. I plan to check with the school my grandkids go to and see if they can use any of it. I will also offer to help the kids make a craft for someone special, maybe a mom, dad or grandparents. If you haven't already, why not offer the supplies you no longer use to a school or daycare.

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Hey Everyone! I've been painting so many winter things it was starting to feel a little bit chilly. Actually, I think there is a cool Fall breeze in the air. I finished this pilgrim couple a few days ago and will be posting it on my etsy site. You can find it here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7852060. ~~Keep looking behind the cupboard door; in a couple of weeks I am going to offer this "bE tHaNKful couple as a free give away. But you will have to do something for it so be sure to stay tuned for details. This sweet pilgrim couple comes with the pumpkin too. Can't you see it with some bittersweet, a little greenery and some white lights, a pumpkin or two or maybe some gourds....hmmm, I should make one for myself. ~~

~~What's happening behind TheOldCupboardDoor this week? I plan to do a "how to " on stiffening and primming your rags ties all at the same time. I will be showing how to make a cute little jack-o-lantern poke using a styrofoam ball and sharing some other things, well hopefully...I'm still trying to figure out how to post all those pics in order so they fall right with the directions. ~~TaTa.

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First Sale

Don't you just love "Firsts"? That first kiss, your first love, the first snowfall of the winter season, And that first sale. I joined Etsy about a month ago and finally had my first sale. One of many more to come I hope.

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Getting started

Welcome to The Old Cupboard Door. Don't mind the mess, things are under construction so it's a little untidy here and there.
I remember growing up how fascinated I was with cupboard doors. Opening a cupboard door was like an itch that needed to be scratched. I'm still that way today. Aren't most of us? You go house hunting, walk into the kitchen and it's almost a sure bet that you will open one of the cupboard doors. Remember the old game show "Let's Make a Deal" with Monty Hall? Weren't we on pins and needles waiting to see what was behind Door Number One , Door Number Two or Door Number 3? Maybe it was a braaaaand neeeew car or a a pile of old dirty socks. You might not find a brand new car behind this Old Cupboard door but you won't find a pile of old dirty socks either. I hope you will find some treasures, some inspiration, a tid-bit of information you weren't expecting, a little faith and some smiles. Please stop by often to see what's behind the Old Cupboard Door. Pin It Now!