Hand painted nutcrackers

I painted a few nutcrackers and they were a hit. I had several 3" boards in the garage. They fit great. 

The Santa was painted on an old cabinet door. The hardest part was getting the oil paint off the door.

Another nutcracker.

Not much else to show, but I'm enjoying the Hallmark Christmas movies. Anyone else?

Fa La La

Wedding Painting!

I was so happy to have been asked to paint at the wedding reception for this sweet couple.

It was held at the Hamilton House Inn in West Monroe, Louisiana. The historic building has been completely renovated to a beautiful reciption area downstairs and a bed and breakfast upstairs.

If you are looking for a live event painter, or wedding painter, contact me now to book.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out my facebook page and Instagram page for more current events. 

Playing around with mixed media

I love playing around with collage and painting on top of it. The results are always so surprising. I had a blast with this one. I did the papers several weeks ago and wasn't sure what it was going to be. It actually has the words "giggle, laugh and play" scattered throughout and it wasn't my intent to cover them up, but they are.

 If you are coming here from the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog - Welcome! The theme this month is "Superpower" and I feel like mine is collage paintings, mainly because I love it. What is yours? If you play along, Stampers Anonymous is sponsoring the prize!

My creation for this challenge is my collage piece.

It's mixed media on wood, and framed in a reclaimed frame that I painted with a faux weather finish.

I hope you are inspired to play along with the challenge.


 Here's how to enter: 
Make sure you visit each designer's blog and leave some comment love for them... we LOVE hearing from you all! Please follow these rules to be eligible for placements and prizes. Entries not following our rules will be deleted.
* You must use our challenge graphic in your challenge post. 
* You must comment on at least 3 design team member's blogs.
* Your post must link back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge post 
* Add a link to your direct post, not your entire blog, a YouTube Video or a Pinterest Board
 * You can combine with up to 4 other challenges.
 * No Backlinking (linking a project completed before the start date of our challenge) allowed! Any back-linked entries will be deleted. 
* You can enter up to 5 times, create whatever you want, and HAVE FUN! 

 You have until 11:55 pm EST on April 31st to enter!

Mixed Media Sunflowers

Can you believe it's the first day of March and we are experience temperature's in the 80's in Northeast Louisiana! Two years ago we had snow. Talk about Mardi Gras Madness!!

If you are here for the March Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog, this month is one of my favorite's - buttons! My mom still has a tin filled with buttons that I used to play with as a child. I would sort them and line them up for hours.  Our sponsor and guest designer this month is May Flaum. Play along and one winner winner will receive a goodie box filled with an assortment of 28 Lilac Lane embellishment mixe as well as a spot in May’s next online class focusing on embellishments! How fun is that?

Here's my creation with buttons.

I used patterned scrapbook papers on birch wood, acrylic paint, and buttons!


Be sure to check out all the creations from the Design Team and enter your project at the March Mixed Media Monthly Challenge and play along.

Please follow these rules to be eligible for placements and prizes. Entries not following our rules will be deleted.

* You must use our challenge graphic in your challenge post.
* You must comment on at least 3 design team member's blogs. 
* Your post must link back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge post
* Add a link to your direct post, not your entire blog, a YouTube Video or a Pinterest Board
* You can combine with up to 4 other challenges. 
* No Backlinking (linking a project completed before the start date of our challenge) allowed! Any back-linked entries will be deleted.
* You can enter up to 5 times, create whatever you want, and HAVE FUN!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

Let the Good Times Roll

We had a whirlwind new year! We had some guest's come and visit right after New Year all the way from Minnesota, so we decided to take them to New Orleans. It was spring-like the first week in January in the French Quarter.

We strolled the quarter, ate beignets at Cafe Dumond, listened to jazz music, ate more food, and then went to see the Lion King. We even ran into some folks from back home in the lobby!

Since we were there on twelfth night, we HAD to get some king cakes. Well, we actually brought back three (from two different bakeries). What a way to ring in the New Year. The temps dropped drastically during the night, and we woke up to rainy cold weather. On our way home, we ran into sleet and ice. In fact, the airport was shut down and our guests couldn't fly home the next day, so we spent one more afternoon together and took photos of this beautiful frozen fountain.

Our guest were able to experience three of our four seasons on their short trip: spring, winter and Mardi Gras! 

If you are visiting this post for the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - then welcome!  Our theme is "sweet inspiration".

And our sponsor this month is Stampendous! And our guest designer is Guest Designer - Fran Seiford. 

The prize for our winner this month is a $25 gift certificate.

Since our theme is "sweet inspiration", I didn't have a problem getting inspired. I have Mardi Gras on the brain. I don't know how I looked at the adorable stamp set I used and thought "Mardi Gras" (it must have been the king cake), but this is what I came up with!

The Stampendous items I used were: Spring Sparkle Embossing Powders, Dreamweaver Stencils Embossing Paste, Whisper Garden Perfectly Clear Stamps, and Thicket Metal Stencil. 

I had a blast creating something for this month's theme.

I hope you can play along. Make sure you visit each designer's blog and leave some comment love for them... we LOVE hearing from you all!

Please follow these rules to be eligible for placements and prizes. Entries not following our rules will be deleted.

* You must use our challenge graphic in your challenge post.

* You must comment on at least 3 design team member's blogs. 

* Your post must link back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge post

* Add a link to your direct post, not your entire blog, a YouTube Video or a Pinterest Board

* You can combine with up to 4 other challenges. 

* No Backlinking (linking a project completed before the start date of our challenge) allowed! Any back-linked entries will be deleted.

* You can enter up to 5 times, create whatever you want, and HAVE FUN!

You have until 11:55 pm EST on February 28 to enter!

Tis the Season

Fa La La La La....

As usual, the Christmas season is here and I'm looking for the pause button.

Oh well - there's always next year.


So - for the December Mixed Media Monthly Challenge, our theme is "Merry and Bright". The design team members are using Sizzix die cuts from our sponsor this month Eileen Hull. The winner of our challenge will receive one of her dies.

I made a gift box and treat tray using some various holiday papers from my old Christmas scrapbook paper box, and some ribbon and trim I had. I also have some older Stampin Up stamps and punches that I still love using.

I hope you can play along. Make sure you visit each designer's blog and leave some comment love for them... we LOVE hearing from you all!


Please follow these rules to be eligible for placements and prizes. Entries not following our rules will be deleted.

* You must use our challenge graphic in your challenge post.
* You must comment on at least 3 design team member's blogs. * Your post must link back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge post
* Add a link to your direct post, not your entire blog, a YouTube Video or a Pinterest Board
* You can combine with up to 4 other challenges.
* No Backlinking (linking a project completed before the start date of our challenge) allowed! Any back-linked entries will be deleted.
* You can enter up to 5 times, create whatever you want, and HAVE FUN!


You have until 11:55 pm EST on December 31th to enter!

Louisiana Life and Cool Breezes!

I'm loving the cool breezes that have been working their way into Louisiana. It's been a hot summer, as usual, and the nice chill in the morning is so welcome. My husband's co workers decorated their breakroom with Halloween decor back in August - so I think they have been ready for cooler temps, too.

The theme for October is Fall/Halloween Mood board:

and the Sponsor this month is Stampotique. They are giving a $30 gift certificate to the challenge winner.

Stampotique sent me some of their stamps to use on this challenge. I received  C.U.Later Gator, Picket Fence, Vintage Script, 3 Daisies. I love the gator because I live in Louisiana and so I went with a Halloween theme.

For my "Bayou Boo" wall hanging, I used scrap wood (6" x 12"), papers, paint, stamps and ink on this. The tombstones were cut from patterned paper that had alphabet on it. I added some ribbon to the back so it could hang. 

Here are some closeup images.

I stamped the picket fence stamp directly onto the scene. Somehow, all these images flowed together with the theme.

I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To play along with the October challenge, post your entries on the link at the main challenge blog page.

Please follow these rules to be eligible for placements and prizes. Entries not following our rules will be deleted.

* You must use our challenge graphic in your challenge post.
* You must comment on at least 3 design team member's blogs.
* Your post must link back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge post
* Add a link to your direct post, not your entire blog, a YouTube Video or a Pinterest Board
* You can combine with up to 4 other challenges.
* No Backlinking allowed! Any back-linked entries will be deleted.
* You can enter up to 5 times, create whatever you want, and HAVE FUN!

You have until 11:55 pm EST on October 31th to enter!

Travel and Summer

Summer is a wonderful time for traveling. My favorite place to go is to the beach - any beach, but I love Florida's Emerald coast.

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog has embraced the travel theme for this month's challenge. I found this one quite easy to do. I went with a simple beach scene. Who wouldn't want to be there now?

I found the red reclaimed frame in a thrift store and just had to have it.

The sponsor for the Mixed Media Challenge Blog this month is Lindsay Weirich. She has a HUGE You Tube Channel. She is known as The Frugal Crafter. She is offering a free spot in her new online Craftsy Class called Mix It Up Mixed Media for our winner!  She is ALSO offering a half off code to her class to all our viewers. Here is the code for the discount

Be sure to enter the challenge for a chance at her prize.

Please follow these rules to be eligible for placements and prizes. Entries not following our rules will be deleted.

* You must use our challenge graphic in your challenge post.

* You must comment on at least 3 design team member's blogs. 

* Your post must link back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge post

* Add a link to your direct post, not your entire blog, a YouTube Video or a Pinterest Board

* You can combine with up to 4 other challenges. 

* No Backlinking allowed! Any back-linked entries will be deleted.

* You can enter up to 5 times, create whatever you want, and HAVE FUN!

You have until 11:55 pm EST on August 31 st to enter!

July Mixed Media and Stars

Mixed media is one of my favorite things to work with as of late. I also love words and letters.  I have had the background on this piece for several months and the letters for "dream" sitting on it waiting for some time to devote to it and actually finish it. This month's Mixed Media Monthly Challenge "Reach for the Stars" was perfect. 

If you are new to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog, it's just that - a challenge to get you motivated to create - anything - using mixed media. This month Seth Apter is our guest designer and sponsor. He will be giving away this stamp set from Impression Obsession called Faded Fragments. So, I hope you can play along. Instructions on how to play are at the bottom of this post.

So, for this month's challenge, I found a wonderful quote relating to dreams and stars. I used patterned paper, chipboard, stickers, paint and stamps and ink. 

Please follow these rules to be eligible for placements and prizes. Entries not following our rules will be deleted.

* You must use our challenge graphic in your challenge post.

* You must comment on at least 3 design team member's blogs. 

* Your post must link back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge post

* Add a link to your direct post, not your entire blog, a YouTube Video or a Pinterest Board

* You can combine with up to 4 other challenges. 

* No Backlinking allowed! Any back-linked entries will be deleted.

* You can enter up to 5 times, create whatever you want, and HAVE FUN!Please follow these rules to be eligible for placements and prizes. Entries not following our rules will be deleted.

* You must use our challenge graphic in your challenge post.

* You must comment on at least 3 design team member's blogs. 

* Your post must link back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge post

* Add a link to your direct post, not your entire blog, a YouTube Video or a Pinterest Board

* You can combine with up to 4 other challenges. 

* No Backlinking allowed! Any back-linked entries will be deleted.

* You can enter up to 5 times, create whatever you want, and HAVE FUN!

The Beaches of Summer

Summer is here, but for me - summer was here way back in the spring. It started off in early May with a few of my girlfriend's from high school. We rented a beautiful condo on Seacreast Beach just west of Panama City on the beautiful 30A scenic highway. We spent most of our days talking and laughing on the beach that was almost empty except for a few people. I took my morning walks completely alone on the beautiful sandy beach. Here are my foot prints. 

One set coming and one set going. I never met anyone while I was walking. Just a few sandpipers who I enjoyed annoying by following them.

Crystal blue waters that on some days didn't even have a wave. I picked up large seashells just by looking down and seeing them in the shallow water. 

We didn't get out and explore the beautiful community like I would love to do, but I did go to Grayton Beach area to visit Andy Saczynski's art studio. I bought this beautiful print. He's such a nice guy. Drop in and see his beautiful art if you are in the area.

Evenings were cool but beautiful. And yes, we saw dolphins.

These photos were taken from our balcony with my telephoto lense. So magical to see them.

Then a month later I went to Orange Beach in Alabama as the photographer for a ladies retreat. I got up around 5:30 every morning to see this beautiful sunrise.

Sunrise on Orange Beach

I had the most wonderful mornings on Orange Beach. I found a sanddollar, starfish and an embarrassing amount of seashells. I have never in all my beach combing days have seen so many shells in one place. I had the ladies so excited they all came out the last morning to collect shells. 

Another stage of the beautiful sunrise. 

Just example of the shells laying on the beach and if you look in the background, you can see the clusters of shells along the shore. Amazing.

I had three very wonderful ladies agree to be models for me one evening at sunset. I had to let my creative juices flow and I think people on the beach thought they were models - well, they were. It was so much fun.

I'm already looking forward to going back to the beach. I love summer.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Bayou Pelican and Repurposing a Mirror Frame

A few months ago, me and my husband were in a second-hand store in the heart of New Orleans - the French Quarter, and I stumbled upon a vintage mirror frame - without the mirror. We brought it home and had some birch cut for it and I created a painting. It was a hit, so what did we do - found another frame and did it again. :)

So - for my June mixed media challenge - I'm using my latest creation. The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog is having it's two year anniversary, so this month you can pick your favorite challenge. Funky Junkie is the sponsor and they are providing the random winner of the challenge with a $25 gift certificate. How fun is that? 

Here are the different challenges we had throughout the year.

I'm using #19, which is "Silver and Gold".

 "Bayou Pelican No. 2" by Melanie Douthit

It's approx 16" x 36" on birch using paint, papers, gold leaf, corrugated cardboard. Coated in resin and framed with a repurposed mirror frame (which was also sanded and painted). The beak and the foot has the gold leafing on it.

I hope you can join in the fun at the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog. 

Please follow these rules to be eligible for placements and prizes. Entries not following our rules will be deleted.

* You must use our challenge graphic in your challenge post.

* You must comment on at least 3 design team member's blogs. 

* Your post must link back to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge post

* Add a link to your direct post, not your entire blog, a YouTube Video or a Pinterest Board

* You can combine with up to 4 other challenges. 

* No Backlinking allowed! Any back-linked entries will be deleted.

* You can enter up to 5 times, create whatever you want, and HAVE FUN!

You have until the last day of June to enter.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

April Downtown Gallery Crawl

Our April Downtown Gallery Crawl in Monroe and West Monroe Louisiana was fantastic. The weather was beautiful and the crowd was amazing.

My husband, Jeff, debuted his photography for the first time ever in my gallery space. He sold three of his photos and I couldn't be more excited. He is so humble and would never have done this if I didn't nudge him. He is a radiologic technologist by day so we titled his show "A Difference Kind of Exposure". clever, huh?

Hubby and I (above) in front of his show, and next - some friends that came out to the crawl.

Monroe artist Sue Sartor with her husband, Walter, who was one of the band members that played with Code Blue and the Flatliners on our street during the crawl. Walter is also a physician. Sue was showing her beautiful paintings in the Upstairs Gallery.

Some of the artists and guest artists at Sugar Gallery.

The next art crawl is the first Thursday in June. Don't miss it!.

Here are some random pics of the April crawl.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.