Hand-painted Christmas Decorations Part II

 

Throughout the years, I have created quite a few Christmas decorations in my own style, from using art prints after my paintings to actually painting the baubles. They were well received in both my Folksy and Etsy shops so I decided to create some more. 

Easy Halloween Cookies

 

As an artist, I have never created anything specifically for Halloween as I don't know how my style would fit with this celebration. However, some of my hanging hearts can be hung with other Halloween and/or autumnal decorations, especially the orange ones. I put some in my autumn tree in the street-facing window and they look rather nice with other handmade items. 

Fluffy Blueberry Muffins

 

I don't have a lot to say about these blueberry muffins except that they are delicious and incredibly fluffy. I followed this recipe without changing anything and the result is so yummy that I struggled to eat just one muffin a day (for breakfast with coffee). The good news is that they keep fresh for 3-4 days without losing their fluffiness. And I also loved that they come out quite irregular shaped so they have a rustic look. 

Hanging Hearts Inspired by Spring

 

When I started painting these hanging hearts, I had no idea where they will take me. I have already created this collection in a different style, but I wanted to create something more arty. I had plenty of inspiration in my own garden and from my daily walks so I didn't need to do any sketches as I had all the images I needed in my head. I couldn't stop until I finished all the plain hearts I had in my studio and the result is a bright collection of spring flowers that will last forever in your home. They can be hung as part of your gallery wall, art collection or Easter decor. 

Orange Cake with Plums

 

I absolutely love baking these sponge cakes using various fruits as they are easy to make and they taste divine. Not to mention the smell in the house when baking. For this cake, I tweaked a little bit the original recipe of boiled clementine cake as I used half sugar and less almond flour replacing the difference with wholemeal self-raising flour.  The taste is as good as the original even with less sugar. Actually, both my husband and I love fruit cakes that are a bit acidic and not too sweet so this was perfect for our taste. 

Art Project for Children's Mental Health Week

 

Between 1-7 February 2021, it is Children’s Mental Health Week and this year’s theme is express yourself. What better way to do that than through art. From painting and drawing to colouring in and making something, there are other forms of art that can be explored by children. 

One of my favourite techniques is incorporating various materials into my art, such as doilies, fabric, old maps and music sheets or cuts from my own art prints. From this to proposing a collage project for children is just a matter of actually doing it and presenting it here. And what an enjoyable activity this was! 😊

Sicilian Inspired Seascape

 

You've probably seen my last post showing the first steps into creating a Sicilian inspired bedroom. One thing that I did, was to paint a seascape inspired by the Mediterranean island. I don't really do many seascapes, but this one is specially created for our home getting inspiration from photos taken while on holiday. Enjoy the step-by-step photos, I hope you like my seascape. 😊

Spread the Love with Hand-painted Hanging Hearts

 

When I normally create these hanging hearts, what I have in mind is the forthcoming events such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Easter or Spring. They are perfect to give to loved ones for these occasions, but this year is a bit different. Due to lockdown 3 when staying home is a must, it would be so nice for people to send little messages by post to loved ones to remind them that they are precious. I know we communicate a lot online nowadays, but there is something thoughtful about sending messages by post. We are so used to giving cards for every occasion, imagine if a loved one would receive a nice little hand-painted heart with a hand-written note. How lovely is that? With this gesture in mind and a few people that I want to send some hearts to, I started to create these new hearts, painted with floral pattern in my style. 

Sicilian Inspired Bedroom - Part I

One of the things recommended by psychologists to keep you sane in these strange times is to make plans for the future. From planning your next holiday to hosting a garden party for when this will be safe, nothing is too insignificant to make a significantly positive contribution to your overall wellbeing.