Painting a Cottage and a wall mural in acrylic

So, I love cottages and I also love the way they look right before dark with the warm light glowing through the paned windows. This was my inspiration for this painting.

 

 

I used a regular canvas that you can find at Walmart or a craft store. I used regular craft paint, not the expensive stuff. Here is a picture of what I use. It is 88. cents a bottle. Cheaper when you catch it on sale. I love it.

 

 

I painted the sky first. I made the trees very, very light in the background, then I dragged the brush from left to right to blend it in even more into the background. I worked in layers until I came to the trees just behind this house.

 

When I got to the house, I painted the windows with a mixture of yellow and white paint. I wanted to create a warm glow. THEN I painted the framework around the window, then I painted in the rocks on the outside, and finally the roof.

 

I would often stand back and look at it. I like to imagine where I would put a walkway or a tree, bush, or flower if this were my house. Then, in it goes!

 

Voila.....cottage painting.



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For this next one....there was a space on my wall next to the sliding glass door that looked bare, so I decided to paint a wall mural. It turned out pretty good. If you look really close you can see the light switch that I painted over to blend it into the mural.

 

 

I tried to use the colors in my kitchen and dining room area so that it would be beautiful, but also blend in. I wanted it to compliment the room, not stick out like a sore thumb. Ya know?

 

As I do in all my paintings, I worked from the background, to the foreground. I also had an inspiration picture to look at. If you go to google and type in vineyard landscapes....you will get hundreds of photos to choose from.

 

So the sky went in first. I made it pretty simple. Then I kept the background pretty vague as well. I didn't get into any detail until I got to the flowers and trees.

 

Remember to decide just where your sun is shining. THEN make sure all of the light parts of your plants are on that side. Place the darker shades to the back. Just like you would see in nature. Its good to take some photos of trees and shrubs on a sunny day and really look at how the light falls.

 

Here is a close up of the flowers and shrubs. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I always love input.

 



 



 

Happy Painting!!

How to refinish a table top for under 100.00

I bought a table off of craigslist.com a few months ago from someone. They were moving and needed to sell it fast, so I got a super awesome solid oak table and five chairs for 50.00. Cant beat that!!

It was pretty ruff looking on the top, so I decided to refinish it. It took me a few days, but I got it done. Here's how I did it.

 

I went and bought this Black and Decker hand held electric sander for 35.00. Believe me, you do NOT want to sand a table by hand. This little puppy is a life saver! (and a hand saver)

 

Then I bought several different grades of sand paper for it. I found one package of 6 that had all of the different grades I wanted, 60, 100, and 220.  It was 6 dollars. I ended up buying another pack later, so if its a big table like mine you probably want to go ahead and get two packs now.

 

 

 

I then picked out my stain. I am an artist, so I just eyeballed mine, but for the average person I would take a picture of your current table with your phone or camera. If you don't have that, then pick up a few color sample swatches from the store and take it home to match to your table. You want to get the stain color as close to the color on the base of the table as possible.

 

Next, you will want to buy some foam brushes, a bristle brush, plastic gloves, mineral spirits, and polyurethane.

 

Okay, so your ready! Great job!

Now, you will want a very ventilated area. I used my garage and left the garage doors open. You will have to let it dry over night when you stain it, so you don't want to leave it outside or anything.

Here is my table after I sanded it with the 60 grit sand paper.

 

 I then went over it with the 100, and then the 220. This will make it super smooth. In between sandings, I did wipe it clean with a cloth. This kept the dust down. Oh yeah....be SURE to have something to cover your face with or you will be tasting and sneezing out sawdust for days! Not good.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the table right before I stained it. I wiped it clean with a damp cloth to be sure that all of the little debris and dust was gone.

 

After the first stain, it looked like this.You will want to go from left to right in the same direction as the grain. Wipe off any excess with a dry lint free cloth. Let dry for about four hours. Then you will lightly sand it with your 220 grit sandpaper. Wipe off with a damp cloth. Let it dry. Now start your second coat of stain. This will give your table a more even look.

 

The next day I checked to be sure that the stain was dry. It was, so I started with the Polyurethane. Now this you will want to put on SUPER light. Do not wipe with a cloth or your cloth will stick to it. You will go in the direction of the grain. Let it dry over night and then go over it with one more coat.

 

Here is the finished table. My cat Furby likes it. 8-) 

 

I also recushioned the chairs.

To do this you turn your chair over. Unscrew the 8 screws that hold the cushion to the chair. Take off old material and foam. Cut new foam to fit. Recover with a new fabric of your choice. Use a furniture stapler to staple the material to the bottom of the chair. Pull it tight and tuck the corners in. It took me a few tries to get this right, but just like  me...you can do it too!

Finally, screw the seat back to the chair and voila! New chairs.

Now you are ready for that big dinner party. Have fun!

 

 



Want to buy a house? Things to do to save for that downpayment.

So, we are wanting to buy a house. Really tired of giving our money away to rent, you know? Want to see what my dream house looks like?

Sooooo, I have started trying several things to make extra cash....one is finally working. I started cleaning houses.

I used to do it a long time ago....when I was 20 years younger....LOL But, I guess this old grey mare still has what it takes. (Thanks to God no doubt!)

How did I start? Well, I told my real estate agent about it, my landlord, and a friend that lives here. We just moved to this town, and we didn't know anyone else yet. But, this seemed to do the trick.

My real estate agent hired me right away. Can you make money at this, you ask? Yes. I charge 20.00 an hour. Most houses take me two hours. So, I still have the time (and energy) to get up and make breakfast for my gorgeous husband, clean MY house, and run the errands I need to get done during the day. Works out pretty good.

Now I have a been hired by four people. All by word of mouth.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proverbs 13:4
The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.


Proverbs 14:23
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If I can do it, you can to. Just remember to do a good job and work hard. God is the one who causes everything we put our hand to, to prosper.

So, I'm going to pick up my son for his spring break today. I am SO excited. Because of his schooling, his job, and baseball....I haven't gotten to see him for a few months. So believe me, I am very much looking forward to this visit. I have the best kid in the world ya know. (wink)

(This is from about two years ago on my wedding day. My son and I switched "hats". )

Okay, so until next time. Have a great one!

How To Get Started Selling Stock Photography For Begginers

I have a Cannon Rebel T3I. So, its a nice camera, but definitely not the top of the line. Most people can afford this type of camera. It cost me around 800.00 American dollars. (That included two lenses, a bag, a micro lense, memory card, battery charger, and a strap.)

 

I bought it at cametacamera.com. It was a great deal actually if you don't have a camera yet and are looking for one.

 

My little sister did some stock photography for a while and so I thought I would try too. I am selling photos, but I am definitely not to where I want to be yet.

 

So, how do you get started? There are SEVERAL sites out there. I would sign up for them ALL. The more photos you have out there, the better your chance to sell them.

 

Here is a list of sites. This is not all of them, but its a good start.

 

Alamy

Almay offers photographers 60% of each sale made on the site and currently lists over 15,000 photographers. You retain all copyrights on this site. Also, they are a non-exclusive site, meaning you can sell your images on other stock sites.

Crestock

Crestock is easy to create an account with, and you can get started uploading photos right away. As with all sites, your photos will undergo a quality check (QC) to make sure they are up to Crestock’s quality levels. Crestock does not require exclusive rights so you are free to shop them around to other stock photo agencies. They have a preference for shots with people in them.

123rf

123rf, as the name implies, is a royalty-free stock site. These sites can work well if your collection is large or in a particular niche. They offer 50% commissions from customers who download with credits. If they are a subscription customore it pays $.36 per download. Uploads are fairly easy and straightforward with options for FTP, Java or basic uploader.  However, there is a 300MB limit for each upload.

Shutterstock

The payouts at Shutterstock work on a sliding scale, so the more images you have downloaded, the more you’ll earn per image. The scale currently starts at $.25 per download so it will take a sizeable portfolio with stellar images before the bigger returns roll around (this is true with all stock agencies, though). This is one of the largest sites.

Dreamstime

Dreamstime is a great place to get your feet wet if you are new to the stock photography game. While the payouts may not be as large as some of the other companies, Dreamstime does offer an extended licensing program to help increase the amount earned from each sale.

Corbis

Corbis has been around a LONG time. Gaining a foothold at Corbis is something of an elusive process. You will note when taking a look at their site that there is no easy “Submit Here” button like a number of the other companies listed. Instead, Corbis seeks out talent, typically by word of mouth in photography circles, and then invites them to become contributors. As you can imagine, a lot of photographers covet signing on with Corbis.

Getty Images

Like Corbis, Getty is a traditional stock photo agency and the entry process is different than most of the royalty-free sites on the internet. The entry process is one of the most difficult in the industry but the payoffs are worth the effort for many. To apply, you will need to register with the site, review the guidelines for submitting, take a quiz and then submit a link to a gallery of your finest images. As with most stock companies, Getty is looking for images with a strong connection through use of concepts and emotions. 

Stockxpert

Stockxpert was one of the smaller micro-stock agencies. They were bought out though by Jupiter Images and now offer 50% commissions on all credit purchases. They pay electronically, if you like, through Paypal and such. Otherwise a check can be mailed to you. 

Fotolia

Fotolia also employs a sliding scale with royalties per image download of between 30-61%. This royalty can increase if you decide to become a photographer exclusively with Fotolia.  All images must be in JPEG format, at least 2400×1600 pixels, in original resolution and you must be the license owner. As with most sites, you may not upload images with protected logos or trademarks in them, which is standard practice.

Big Stock Photo

Big Stock Photo also offers 50% commissions and that means your sales will range from $.50 for the smallest downloads to $3 each for the largest. Payouts start as low $50 of accumulated proceeds and can be paid through Paypal. They list the images that are most in demand at the time. So pay attention to what they are asking for or what is trending now on their site. Conceptual images are popular with this and other sites as they can be sold to a variety of markets. Uploads are easy and quick.

iStockphoto

iStockphoto is one of the leading micro-stock agencies on the internet. Its pretty easy to get into this one.

Can Stock Photo

Can Stock currently offers photographers 50% commissions on all direct image purchases made on their site and $.25 for each subscription download. The sign up process is easy and straight forward. You just link to your portfolio and upload three images for review.

One of they key things to note.....is take ALOT of pictures. THEN choose your best ones to submit to these sites. They don't want your average shot of animals, plants and insects...but if you have a particularly awesome one, try it. They are looking for photos that can be sold to the masses. And besides, you want that too because the larger the market for your photo, the more you will sell.

Good luck....and happy photography.

How to start your own house cleaning business.

Wanting to create some extra income and have a flexible schedule to work around kids, school events, household duties, and errands? Then you might want to read further.

 

 

The best way to start a cleaning business is by word of mouth. Not adds in the paper, flyers, etc. Why? Because you are not affiliated with an accredited business such as "Merry Maids" and this is their home they are letting you in to. They want to know who is going to be in their home and if they can trust them or not. Right?

 

So I have done this two different times. Once when my children were under the age of five and I didn't want to work outside the home, and now when I just want to save extra money up to buy a house. Both times I started by word of mouth. Before long, I had to turn people away I had so many.

 

Talk to your friends, your real estate agent, the lady you see every week at the bank. Mention it at church, or your chiropractors office. Believe me, it works. All you need is ONE house to start. Then, do a good job, no a GREAT job. From there, it starts a snowball effect.

 

 

Key things to know....

 

1. Always ask if they have specific cleaning supplies they would like you to use. If not, bring your own.

 

2. Ask if they are allergic to any types of cleaners.

 

3. Tell them a run down on what you normally clean and ask if that is okay, or if they would like to add or delete some of the things from the list. Customize it for each customer. Be sure to write it down!

 

4. Do something unexpected. Fold towels over their tub like you would see at a hotel. If you see a load of laundry in a basket, fold it. If there are a few dishes in the sink, go ahead and clean them and put them away. (Or load them in the dishwasher if they have one)

 

5. Put scented trash bags in their bathroom trash cans. It looks clean and fresh and smells nice.

 

6. Clean ceiling fans, baseboards, and window seals. It makes a difference, trust me.

 

7. Work hard and get it done. I charge 20.00 an hour and can complete a 1700 sq foot 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home in two hours.  So, it only costs them 40.00.

 

8. The list of things I do? Well, I offer a deep clean to begin. This usually takes about 6 hours. I do baseboards, door frames, hand mop around the edges of all floors to get in the corners, ceiling fans, windows, doors, full bathroom, full kitchen, vacuum, dust, mop, wipe off cupboards, all mirrors, stove burner pans, inside microwave, and window blinds.

 

But on a regular basis, I clean the kitchen ( inside microwave, counters, sink, fronts of appliances, top of stove, floors, dust furniture, sweep and mop.)

 

Bathrooms (dust, mop, top and fronts of counters, mirror, tub, toilets, dust, dump trash)

 

Living room and Bedrooms (make beds, dust, vacuum, straighten up, dump trash, all mirrors)

 

 

 

I hope that helps. If you have any questions, just let me know. I am more than happy to help out any way I can. One housewife to another.

 

Happy Cleaning!

 

Step by Step Acrylic Painting of a Cottage In The Woods

Have you ever pictured in your head where your "happy place" would be? For me, it would definitely be somewhere like the painting I did below.

I get my ideas mainly from my head, but I do look at different pictures for inspiration. For example, I looked at about 300 photos of cottages until I realized I really like the ones in England the best. They are mostly made from stacked stones with a thatched roof.

I love water, and flowers, and sunrises....so I decided to put all of those elements in this painting. If you don't have a lot of money, as always, that's not a problem. My paintings prove that you can do great work with 88 cent bottles of Walmart craft paint and some cheap brushes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taxes - How to and What to Use

Okay, so its that time of the year again. I have been doing my own taxes with Turbo Tax for many, many years now. The key to this....keep good records during the year.

One of the ways you can do that is to get a filing cabinet. They are cheap at Wal-Mart. Ours was like 40.00. Then get some file folders and voila, filing system in your home.

There are a few ways to go about this. One way is to file by month. Then at the end of each month, total your receipts and write your totals on the outside of your file. Such as prescriptions, doctor visit bills, private insurance costs, donations, etc.

If you are really ambitious, the other way to do this is to keep all your stuff in one file, then at the end of the year you sort through it all then. I prefer step one myself.

 

If you donate to Goodwill, get a receipt from them. You have to write down on it what you donated, but as you are putting it together, just remember to write down on paper as you go what items you donated and how many. Its not hard, and the paybacks are pretty significant on your tax returns.

 

Now, if you work from home, you can also "write off" a percentage of your utility bills, phone bills, and rent. So keep track of that through the year too.

If you own a home, there will be a place for you to enter in how much you paid in interest, taxes and insurance you paid, on some occasions repairs such as energy efficient anything.... Just keep your receipts. Turbo Tax asks you for those totals during the process so don't worry about forgetting. It goes through step by step by step. Easy peasy.

Now, this should bring you to the current. If you go to TurboTax.com you can click on the "start for free button". It is in the middle of the page more towards the left.

 

From there, you just "follow the directions". Seriously. It walks you through step by step. There is NO guessing. It is free to do it in the beginning anyway. You actually complete your whole return, see what you will be getting back....and THEN you pay. If you do a simple return, it is even free.



You should check it out. It will save you a few hundred dollars. And no, they are not paying me... I seriously like their software and I use it every year.
 

How to paint a waterfall in acrylics for begginers

 

This is an easy one to do. There is not a lot of detail involved. You can change the sky to reflect any type of weather you like. In this particular one I chose a partly cloudy day.

 

I used phthalo blue, phthalo green, black, crimson red, white, cadmium yellow, and burnt umber.

For brushes, I used a fan brush, a one inch flat brush, a round brush, and a small flat square detail brush.

 

Don't forget your paper plate, acrylic paint ( I used 88cent bottles of craft paint that you can find at walmart), and your cup of water and paper towels.

 

Search the internet for waterfall pictures that you think are pretty. If you go to google.com, type in waterfalls, then click on "images" from the top bar, it will display only pictures of waterfalls from the web. Find your inspiration, and you are well on your way.

 

This is the completed one I did. As always, I started at the top with the sky, painted in the dark undercoat for the background, then built up from there.

For the sky and clouds I Painted the entire sky blue, then while it was wet I added patches of white randomly. Using my larger brush, I stroked across the paint from left to right all the way from one side to the other. This blended in the white with the blue. It made some parts of the sky lighter, some darker. After that, I took more white and using my small round brush I formed some clouds. Leave some of the patches of white pretty thick. It might look weird now, but when you step back, it actually gives the clouds a translucent, bright appearance as if the sun is directly behind it.

I usually always paint the back ground using black and burnt umber. Every item in nature has shadows and light. I learned that it is easier for me to paint the shadow first, then build the light on top of it to give it depth. It works well for me.

Next I painted in the water first, then the rocks over it. The rocks I used burnt umber, white, and some phthalo blue to create depth. Remember to leave some of the black. It makes the rocks jump out at you. For the trees I used my fan brush. If you create the trunk first, then you go side to side with the fan brush, it will make the branches. Don't try to be too perfect. Trees in nature are not anywhere close to perfect. They are crazy. Remember to always make the ones in the distance small and get bigger as you come closer to yourself. This gives the illusion of depth as well.

To do the trees, I used phthalo green, phthalo blue, and cadmium yellow. I mixed the green and blue first and lightly went over the tree "shadows". Then I went over that with just the green lightly. On top, I added just the Cadmium yellow where I thought the sun would hit.

After that, the best advice I can give is to just remember to always step back from your painting often. You need to see what it will look like from a distance. In this way you can easily find errors or discrepancies in your painting.

Try not to over look your painting. If you don't like it, step away and come back to it tomorrow and take another look at it then. You might be surprised.

If you have any questions, or see something I didn't explain well, just message me. I am MORE than happy to help you out in any way that I can. Painting should be fun. Relax.