GARDEN CLEAN-UP DAY

It was a cool and breezy day in SE Wisconsin and perfect for working outside.  So today I edged, weeded, transplanted, planted, swept, watered, and trimmed.  Late afternoon came with quite a drop in temperature and a great downpour!  What perfect timing!

This is an 8 foot  bench that was inspired by a photo I saved on Pinterest.  Made with 2x4x8 and 1x4x8 treated lumber.  On the right is my mom's geranium (over 7 years old now) getting used to being outdoors for the summer.

My little Bay Laurel topiary tree with the soil covered in moss I pulled from a shady nook in the yard.

A pot of mixed flower seedlings sits next to the Bay Laurel and Yellow Loosestrife is in the pot in the back.

Shallow clay pots of Stone Crop Sedum on the table .

A couple blooms opened on the Clematis today with many more to come!

The raised beds on the deck are bursting with radishes and lettuce.

This year I raised the canopy and underplanted my Quick Fire Hydrangea with 

Stone Crop Sedum and Blue Carpet Lobelia.

Another Pinterest inspired project.  I liked this one because it was all natural, just sticks and stones!

I cut out a special spot for Iris to check on front yard happenings while she's taking it easy on the patio.

Hello world!  It's me, Iris!

It's 64° and even Iris enjoys the warmth of the fire tonight!

Thanks for checking in!

Nan

EARLY SUMMER IN THE GARDEN

Summer is finally here!  

With all that's going on in the world right now, I am so grateful for my time spent in the garden - a retreat right in my own backyard!  This blog has been pretty silent for awhile, but it's time to bring it back to life.

When I moved into my home almost 4 years ago, it came with a pretty big yard.  There's an area in the back at the bottom of a little slope that is flat and in full sun.  A perfect place for a vegetable garden.  Nothing huge, just big enough for some of my favorite vegetables.  So I built this twig fence adding a little something new each summer.  The plank entrance came along soon after due to the mud.

 The posts, raised beds, and plank entrance are made with cedar.  All year long I save the branches and twigs that fall from my trees, along with longer branch trimmings from the shrubs.  When I get a nice big pile I head down to the garden and add them to the fence.  

Last summer I added the gate, and this summer I designed a sign for the entrance out of a piece of plywood that has been in the garage since I moved in.  This garden has become a place of quiet, peace, and solace for me.  I hope you'll check back, and watch my garden grow throughout the summer!

-Nan

ORANGE FLOWERS

ORANGE FLOWERS

20 x 20 inch, oil

My favorite summer activity is working in my gardens.  Grooming, watering, weeding, feeding, and finally PICKING!  Now, it's August and the summer garden is bursting with inspiration!  Supposedly, yellow and orange represent freshness, optimism, remembrance, loyalty, and joy, among other things.  That's a lot of positive stuff making yellow and orange great colors to have in your home.  This painting was done on a warm summer night in my little home studio.  

Check it out at Gillyflower Cottage on Etsy.

MANDARINS AND POPPIES

Orange for its emotional warmth and blue for the sky and the sea, these colors are opposite one another on the color wheel.  And what good companions they make!

Since we can't grow anything outside in Wisconsin right now, what a perfect way to bring some of those colors of nature into the house!  This painting titled Mandarins and Poppies measures 24" x 24" and is available for purchase in my Etsy shop, Gillyflower Cottage.  Think spring!

LAST CHANCE - HOME PORTRAITS IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!

STILL NEED IDEAS FOR THAT SPECIAL 

PACKAGE UNDER THE TREE?

I'm busy in my workshop creating some 

one-of-a-kind gifts and

there are still a few days to order yours 

in time for Christmas morning!

H O M E   P O R T R A I T 

ordering deadline for 

CHRISTMAS DELIVERY 

is 

Friday, December 15th

Click HERE to order.

(Free Christmas gift wrapping upon request!)

"Give a memory of HOME this Christmas"

HOME PORTRAIT SALE

HOME PORTRAITS

for 

CHRISTMAS

Wrap up a Home Portrait for under the tree this year.  

Right now my Home Portraits are with 10% off with the coupon code GILLY10 at checkout.  Your 8 x 10 portrait will arrive matted and ready for framing.  Click here to go to my Etsy shop.

THE GIRLS

On a sunny, summer day I drove past a farmer's field in southeast Wisconsin where a small herd of cows was milling around.  When I walked up to the fence every head turned my way, and out of curiosity, started lumbering toward me.  The next thing I knew there were about fifteen of them all jockeying for position.  They were eager to pose, shuffling around so everyone got a chance in the front row.  Once they decided I had nothing to offer they got bored and mooved on . . . 

but I walked away with a bunch of great photos to work off of.  

The three girls below made it onto the first canvas.  They want to be part of your farmhouse decor!

THE GIRLS

16 x 20 

oil on panel

Painting is sold in a solid black frame shipped free of charge.  Click here to go to ETSY.

THE OLD EBLE BARN

  "The Old Eble Barn"

12x12 inches

oil on panel

The old Eble Barn was a stately landmark in Wisconsin for many years.  It took two days for 36 men to raise the barn in 1936, but it stands no more.  The barn was such a familiar part of the Brookfield landscape, standing firm as Blue Mound Road developments came closer with each passing year.  When I heard of the coming destruction of the barn, I spent a day sketching on the grounds and taking photos.  

This painting can be purchased from my Etsy shop by clicking here.  This 12 x 12 inch original oil painting comes is in a solid wood, black, 'floater' frame.  ("These unique frames are so named because the illusion they create is that your artwork is "floating" within the frame instead of being covered by it". -Blick)

******Free Shipping******

HOME PORTRAITS FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

It's that time of year again!  Do you want a unique and one-of-a-kind gift for that special someone on your list?  Maybe a home portrait is just the thing you're looking for.  Your home is special to you.  Fond family memories of holidays and growing a family are made here.  Treat yourself or a special person in your life to a lasting memory of a home, lake cottage, or other special place with the commissioning of an original, hand-drawn pen and ink  portrait.  Home portraits make great house warming gifts too!

Now is the time to order to ensure receiving the portrait in time for Christmas giving.  Plus, right now, there's free shipping on all home portraits!  Click here to visit my Etsy shop.

A collage of some of the home or special place portraits I've done in the past.

{Home Portraits at Gillyflower Cottage}

Cinderella Pumpkin Night

  The colors, the deep grooves, the shape of Cinderella pumpkins are beautiful.  And expensive!
So, my group of willing ladies and I are going to give it a shot.  We're going to make our own Cinderellas and ours will last forever!  My plan is to use canvas drop cloths for the shape, fishing line for the grooves, and grapevine for the stems.



Check back in a few days to see our masterpieces!

INKTOBER IS UPON US

INKTOBER  

"Every October, artists all over the world take on the Inktober drawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. I created Inktober in 2009 as a challenge to improve my inking skills and develop positive drawing habits."   - Jake Parker

Day #1

Day #2

What a fun way to go into fall!  Small ink drawings are quick and satisfying.  After a wonderful summer full of gardening and outdoor activities, fall is the perfect time to nestle in and pull out the ink bottle and nibs!   

Today, a walk to find seed pods and leaves . . . and a video I've posted before.  This was one of my mom's favorite songs.  Melancholy, but so beautiful!

Autumn Leaves

-Nan

ANOTHER CREATIVE NIGHT WITH THE GIRLS

It's the first day of SPRING, so a good time to make 

something to celebrate the end of WINTER!

This project was inspired by a recent trip to Anthropologie - one of the greatest places to find unusual dish towels.  So, this time we'll be doing a little creative painting on fabric.  All we need is a 1/2 yard of cotton fabric, a small amount of white fabric, and acrylic paints.  Everyone can make a towel that will perfectly match their kitchen colors.

I'll be sure to post a picture of the finished 

masterpieces - they are certain to be beautiful!

"Bearing Flowers Dish Towel"

by

Anthropologie

STITCHIN' WITH THE GIRLS

There's nothing like spending an old fashioned, cold winter's night embroidering and chattering with your girlfriends.  What a night of camaraderie and fun, while making a project for Valentine's Day.  All were successful too - no frustrations or flops!

(Spring girls' night already in the planning stages!)

MORE VALENTINE IDEAS

MORE VALENTINE IDEAS FROM A FEW YEARS AGO . . .

There may no longer be young children in this house, but I think one still needs to decorate for the "other holidays", like Valentine's Day, kids or no kids!  Big people love the holidays too!

  So, today I made a valentine banner for the front entryway, and also put a little valentine tree in the dining room.  I typed out some love quotes in the typewriter font, cut them in strips, and glued one onto each piece.  Then you can embellish to your heart's content.  I just used ribbons and some cut out hearts, but you could add buttons, charms, lace, sheet music . . . anything!  I used these for gift tags also.

Enjoy . . . again!

And, of course you must have the essential Valentine's Day question . . .

Just a couple punches at the top of each piece, a little ribbon woven through, and you're done!  This is an easy project that would probably be even more charming if you let your young children help!

LAVENDER PATH

Another English beauty, this is Avebury Manor, Wiltshire. 

Done for Day 3 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge, my theme is Buds and Buildings. 
This one takes in both. The gray stone with the lavender, and the greens in the 
grasses and trees make a beautiful combination anywhere but especially in nature.  

LAVENDER PATH

5 x 7 inch pen and ink watercolor

This is a 5 x 7 original pen and ink watercolor.

It will arrive with an 8 x 10 black mat, in a clear cellophane sleeve 

for protection and ready for your frame.  

Ready to ship, you can find it HERE.

BEEHIVE COTTAGE

The subject of my Day No. 2 painting for 30 Paintings in 30 Days is Beehive Cottage, located in Branscombe, Devon, UK.  This home also serves as the village post office in Branscombe!  

Again, I used 300# watercolor paper.  This is a 5 x 7 inch original watercolor with a black 8 x 10 inch mat included.  

A light pencil sketch, followed by a watercolor wash.

BEEHIVE COTTAGE

5 x 7 inches, 300# cold press Arches watercolor paper

Wrapped and ready at my Etsy shop HERE.

Come back tomorrow for 

Day No. 3 of the 30 in 30 Challenge.

Image used for this painting is courtesy of pmp-art.com - a site 

that provides copyright free images for artists.

PAST HER PRIME

 From my boys bringing a seedling home from school when they were small, to cottage gardens bobbing with blooms, the sunflower is a favorite of mine.  So I'm starting off this year's, 
"30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS CHALLENGE" 
with this happy and easy to grow flower.

"Past Her Prime"

5 x 7 inch original watercolor

with 8 x 10 inch black mat

Packaged and ready to ship from my Etsy shop HERE.