{Sweet Pea and Pumpkin}

Merry Christmas from Our Family to You!

2010-12-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

{Click to see it larger.}

Thank you to everyone who has ordered this Christmas and throughout the year. I'm honored to be a part of your homes and holidays. I've been painting, but I'm grateful to say I've been spending most of my time with those two hooligans. And there's nothing I'd rather be doing. :)

Check This Out

2010-12-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

I have been busying painting up a storm! Some of the orders I haven't even taken the time to photograph- shame on me. It may be a while before I can post here, but I promise I've been painting! In the meantime, please head over to my personal blog, Woven and Spun, and check out something that is near to my heart. Thanks in advance!

Christmas Orders

2010-10-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Halloween has yet to arrive, but it's already time for me to start thinking about Christmas orders. If you are thinking about ordering gifts, please let me know by November 15, sooner if you can. If you have early Christmas celebrations which will require an earlier delivery date, please let me know as soon as possible.

Orders for Christmas ornaments (link to pictures in the sidebar) need to be in by December 1, as they do not take as much time to create.

I will be placing an order with my canvas supplier this Friday. If you already know what you'd like, even if only the size (we can figure out design details later), please let me know before then so I can add it to my bulk order.

Thank you!
Becca

Modern Day Knights

2010-10-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

My husband's cousin asked me to paint a canvas for his sons. The words are based on ideas in the book, Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis. From what I understand, it's a must-read for fathers of sons. His idea was that we would create this canvas, and he and his wife would hang it where their two sons would read it everyday (after they're actually old enough to read!). Another benefit is that their daughter will also eventually read it as well and know what she should be looking for in a man (other than what she's seen in her father, of course). I love this idea and feel honored that they asked me to do it!

Laugh Out Loud

2010-10-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

Remember the adorable boutique I told you about? Well the mama behind those adorable tees asked me to paint something for her kids' playroom. I was so excited to return the creative favor for her! She gave me very few instructions. She knew the phrase she wanted and that she wanted lots of color. No problem!

I think this is such a perfect phrase for a playroom! There is little better than the sounds of our kids laughing out loud!

Mighty to Save

2010-09-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

My dear blog (and phone) friend, Mandi, has been through some very rough things over the last few months. I'm thankful I have been able to walk through them with her. Sometimes you just need to hear that someone else "gets it." She asked me to paint this canvas for her youngest son, little D.

His nursery is absolutely adorable. She has done it in antique toys with a gorgeous color scheme of light blue, wagon red, and buttery yellows. I LOVE it. Just look at this crib!
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Beautiful job, Mandi! Thanks for letting me be a part of his story!

Trust in the Lord

2010-09-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

After the wonderful customer who ordered the last two paintings I've shown you got her ideas to me for the kids, she added another order for herself. And I'm so glad she did! This verse is special to my family, and I love that it's special to her too.

She said she needs to read this verse everyday, and I do too. Thank you, K, for letting me part of your home!

This is the Day

2010-09-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is the day
(this is the day)
That the Lord has made
(that the Lord has made).
I will rejoice
(I will rejoice)
And be glad in it
(And be glad in it).
- and repeat that a thousand times-

Did y'all sing that song growing up? I did and could NOT get it out of my head while I was painting this! The scripture canvas I showed you yesterday was for two sisters, and this is for their brother.

Here is his shower curtain:

I love when customers tell me why they chose the scriptures they did for their kids' spaces. It is such an inspiration to me as a mom. Thanks, K. Hope you love it!

A Great Reminder

2010-09-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

I received this order (along with two others- pics coming soon) from a woman in Indiana. I'm still amazed that I get orders from all over the place! She chose a 16x20" canvas for her daughters' bathroom. I love the verse she chose for it- what a great reminder for young girls to see everyday as they look in the mirror. We not-as-young-girls need this reminder too, huh?

We chose the colors and pattern to go with her girls' shower curtain. Hope you love it, K!

Jesus Loves Me

2010-09-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend, Michelle, just had a precious baby boy. Here's his super-cute bedding! I wish you could see his whole nursery. She is one creative mama!

I loved that she picked this classic song for his canvas. Sometimes I sing this song with my kids and don't really think about the lyrics. Painting them on his canvas made me pay attention. As hard as it is to grasp at times, Jesus loves me. Crazy!

Ollie B Boutique

2010-09-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

I have to take a moment here to plug my friend's new business. She's a mama like me, creating in her home, and I LOVE what she's doing. I think you will too. Here are the shirts she made for my boys:

This is my Sweet Pea. He designed his own shirt for the first day of Kindergarten this year. (*sniff*)

He wears it all the time! Do you love his fake smile? We were on picture #387 on the first morning of school.

And here's my little Pumpkin in his tie shirt on his first day of preschool this year.

I LOVE this design from Piper. She's so creative.

That initial on the back is her trademark.

Go check out Ollie B Boutique for your kids or for gifts! You won't be disappointed.

Sweet Lily

2010-09-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

This canvas is for a very special baby girl whose family is cherishing every moment they have with her as she has been diagnosed with Zellwegger's Syndrome. When they arrived home from Arkansas Children's Hospital with her on her one-month birthday, I wanted to have a special gift for baby Lily and her sweet parents.

Her nursery has a full-size bed in it as well, and look at the gorgeous bedding they chose as inspiration for the whole nursery!

Her walls are the color of this pillow! Isn't it beautiful for a nursery? I'm so glad I got to be a little part of her life, even if only in the decorations. :)

Quick Project

2010-08-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I got to spend some girl time with a dear friend, Savannah. We shopped and ate and talked... and painted! One of our projects was a quick birthday gift for one of her friends. We didn't have a ton of time, but I sat at her kitchen island with paints, brushes, a canvas board, and hairdryer to get the job done quickly. We bought a thin canvas board (8"x10") and a half-off frame from Hobby Lobby to give a bit more presence. I think it turned out great!

Sorry about the picture quality. I wasn't prepared for a photo opp, so I only had my phone!

If you're interested in ordering a frame-able canvas board, let me know. They're quick and very affordable!

Train Table Redo

2010-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

This project was a compromise between my oldest son and me. We bought our oldest a Thomas the Tank Engine train table when our youngest son came home. He was obsessed with all things Thomas. It was a splurge but has been worth every cent. He has played on that thing for hours and hours. Lately, he's not into trains as much and has used it a bit for racing cars but really not much at all. I was planning on selling it in a garage sale (and using that space in his room for a small air hockey table that was handed down to us- fun!). He liked the air hockey table idea, but when it came down to it, he couldn't bear the thought of parting with his train table. I asked him if he'd like to keep it, and that I'd paint it so it would be more for race cars as he gets older. He loved that idea. So I got to work.

His table used to look like this. Cute for a preschooler, although not my favorite decor! :)

I started by using some Liquid Sander followed by a light sanding by hand where needed. Then I used a gray primer on the whole thing. If you've never used a tinted primer, try it! When your final color is dark or bright, a tinted primer gives you much better coverage.

After the whole thing was gray, I painted it blue. The exact color is Lupine from Sherwin-Williams. It's one of my favorite blues for the boys' rooms. It also goes really well with the blues in Pottery Barn Kids quilts.

Yes, that is an old shower curtain as a drop cloth. I just set up in our extra bedroom, which is my painting room. If I can paint canvases in there, why not furniture? By the way, I switched out that khaki shower curtain for a white one in our master bath, and it made a huge difference. Should've done it forever ago. Wait... how did I get here? We're talking about a table. I took out the removable panels that had a scene on them. Based on some inspiration from flickr photos, I decided to paint them with chalkboard paint.

I finished the table while the boys were spending the day with my mom, and I couldn't wait for him to see! I wanted to give him an example of what he could do with the chalkboard, so I left him a little surprise for when he got home. He LOVED it!

He's made all kinds of designs, erased, and started over many times! At this moment, you can barely see the black for all the chalk (thanks to his little brother). This was such a fun project and will last him a long time. The best part is that it's even more usable than it was before, AND it was free! I had all of the supplies here already, and it was a relatively short project as well.

Bella Marie

2010-07-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

This sweet girl's mama has been my friend since junior high. When I heard they this couple was adopting, I couldn't wait to hear about their story. I'm so grateful to have been a part of Bella's story, even if only in a small way. Bella's aunt Carrie, my new friend, ordered this canvas for her sweet niece.

Here is sweet Bella in her new nursery!

Welcome, Preston!

2010-07-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Remember the "Welcome, Rebekah!" sign? Well, little Rebekah has a new baby cousin, Preston! Their grandmother ordered a canvas for each to hang on their hospital door and later on her front door at home. Since we used a zebra print for Rebekah, we went with a giraffe print for Preston. I love how it turned out!

Preston Robert

2010-04-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the poor picture quality here. I couldn't get the lighting right, and I was in a hurry to get it delivered the day of the baby shower! Nothing like last minute, right? I matched this to custom bedding. The colors were gorgeous, and I couldn't wait to get my paints out!

for Mackenzie

2010-04-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

This canvas was for a baby shower gift. The mom had designed a very classic nursery. We kept with her theme of navy, white, and khaki, then added a tiny bit of pale pink for good measure. :)

I'm Still Alive... and Painting

2010-04-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

I promise I did not fall off the face of the earth! I've been so busy with my little boys, painting, and trying to sell our house (a horrible idea with two small kids, by the way), that I just haven't posted. Here's a 16"x20" canvas I painted for a new grandmother. First, she hung it on her front door...

Then she surprised her daughter by taking it to the hospital to welcome sweet Rebekah into the world!

(That's proud grandpa!)

The Baby Boutique

2010-01-30T19:09:00.000-08:00

I painted this canvas for my local pregnancy help center where I volunteer. We have a baby boutique full of baby items that our clients can buy with the "money" they earn by taking classes in parenting, finances, Bible study, etc. It's a wonderful thing, and I'm so proud of to be a part of it.

I was inspired by a painting at Posh Tots for this design.

For a Newborn Princess

2010-01-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

Another Twist on a Favorite

2010-01-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

My name canvases are one of my best-sellers, and this is a new twist on the traditional design. I'm just noticing that you can't see the last name well because of the glare on the photo. Sorry!

There Could Never Be a More Beautiful You

2010-01-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

I recently painted this canvas for a dear friend's daughter. She chose the words from a song by Jonny Diaz called "More Beautiful You," a song I love! It will hang in her bathroom where her precious little girl will read the words everyday. I don't know about you, but I could stand to read those words everyday myself.

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours

2009-12-14T22:14:00.001-08:00

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
PS- I've been painting like crazy. I just haven't uploaded the photos yet.

I'm Back!

2009-08-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

After much thought and prayer, I have decided to stop my graduate school program for now. God has clearly shown me that even though I was only going to be in class 1-2 nights per week, the time I would need to complete my coursework would take away from me being the kind of mommy I want to be. Degrees will always be there, but my sweet boys will not always be little! I loved my summer class, the material, and the intellectual stimulation, but I know this is the best decision for me and my family.

That said, I will now have some time to paint! Preschool will be in full swing next week, so I will have a couple days a week to myself. If you were considering ordering something for yourself or as a gift, please let me know. I still may not have a speedy turnaround, but I am taking orders again! I will be taking Christmas orders until probably October. I'll let you know an exact deadline soon.

Thanks! And to my two most recent customers, K and H, thank you for your patience and for letting me be a part of your children's rooms! Congratulations to you both!

Slowing Down

2009-07-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hi,
No photos today- just a short announcement. I started graduate school this week; it's the first time I've been in school since 2000! Because of that ~~overwhelming~~ exciting adventure plus my everyday responsibilities as a wife, mom, and household manager, I have little time for ~~showering~~ painting. I will still be taking some orders here and there, but please know that they will take longer than usual for completion and delivery. And if I tell you that I just can't fill your order when you ask, please understand that it is only because I am prepping for a mid-term or writing a paper or something; it will have nothing to do with you or your particular order! Thanks for understanding.

For Baby Carson

2009-06-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

A friend ordered this canvas for her new nephew, Carson. It has a monogram on the background, but I think it's hard to see in the photo (I need to figure out how to fix that!).

It goes with this super-cute bedding Circles bedding from Target. Check it out!

I Am With You...

2009-06-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a new canvas for a little boy who's struggling with fear. His mom ordered this for his room, and I think it's just the sweetest idea. What a great way to help him remember WHO is with him all the time!

This canvas is 24x36" and has the tone-on-tone monogram behind the verse. I know it's a bit hard to see in the photo. I designed it to go with this adorable bedding by Woolrich (from Target if you're interested)!

Jeremiah 29:11

2009-06-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

I love getting to paint Scripture that will hang in people's homes. It's such an honor to paint something so important to me, knowing that it's important to the customer as well. Thanks for asking me to do this, J!

For the Sassy Kitchen

2009-06-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

This wood sign is in a local kitchen boutique that has lots of personality and sass! Those girls loved it. :)

For Baby Harrison

2009-06-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

A sweet mama contacted me to paint a canvas for Baby Harrison, the baby boy she and her husband are adopting from Taiwan. If you don't already know, I have a heart for adoption and am an adoptive mom myself. I was thrilled at the opportunity to create something for this family. She has picked out the most adorable bedding for his room! Just look:

And here's what I just finished for his nursery.
I hope you like it, A! And I hope you have that baby boy in your arms very soon!
{As a surprise, I hid your last name in the letters around the border.}
18x24" canvas

Chalkboard

2009-06-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

This color is my new favorite! I made this chalkboard for a local store to sell, but now I'm not sure if I can let go of it! Might just have to keep it...

4th of July

2009-06-06T18:59:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe, but Independence Day is just around the corner! This wood sign is perfect for showing your patriotism this summer. It's distressed and aged to give it that classic Americana look. Here's a close-up.

New Wood Signs

2009-05-31T21:59:00.000-07:00

(click the photo for a larger image with better detail)
Here is the first of my new wood signs! It's hard to tell from this photo, but the background is a beautiful (dark) tan with black, red, and white accents. I have several different sizes and shapes of these, and I can't wait to try out all the new designs I'm thinking of!

I painted the outside and back of this one black then distressed it.
I hope you like it!

Look Who Loves His Painting!

2009-05-31T15:20:00.001-07:00

This is sweet Brody with his painting (and matching shirt, thanks to his mama!). His mom, Jennifer, says he loves to stare at his painting, which just melts my heart of course.

Placing a Canvas Order

2009-05-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

I'm placing a large canvas order on Monday, June 1. If you've been thinking about ordering, now's the time! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been painting like crazy, but I haven't had time to upload pictures. New wood signs are coming soon. I've been working hard. I think you'll like them!

Wedding Gift

2009-04-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

This gift was for a sweet, new couple who now have a blended family. In order for no one to feel left out, the customer ordered their wedding gift with first names rather than a last name. So thoughtful!

Shared Bathroom

2009-03-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

16x20"

This canvas was for a bathroom shared by a little girl and her two younger brothers. The design was inspired by vinyl decals at Land of Nod. Their bathroom is done in the Critters collection from PBKids. So cute.

Please Pray

2009-03-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

A sweet family from our church just lost their newborn son. Please pray for them and go here to leave your thoughts and prayers with them. To read Evan's story, go here.

for Baby Mason

2009-03-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of putting Scripture in our kids' rooms. After I painted this for Baby Mason, we decided we want to do this too. We're going to choose a verse for each son, something we'll pray over them and teach them, and I'll paint something for their rooms with "their" verse. I hope you like it, TD! :)

24x36" canvas
(I don't know if you can see in the photo,
but there's a tone-on-tone monogram behind the verse)

Live Simply...

2009-03-11T19:33:00.001-07:00

One beautiful motto, two different designs...

10x20" canvas

Delay

2009-02-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

If you have ordered a canvas from me lately, this is for you! I should have contacted you directly by now; if I haven't, please know that I haven't forgotten about you. Our almost 2-year-old son was admitted into the hospital Monday, and we were just released today. So, I'm pretty behind on painting. He's doing really well, and I'll be back at it very soon. I'm pretty backed up right now, though. Thanks for your patience!

Thin Canvas Boards

2009-02-13T19:45:00.001-08:00

Matt took the boys to run errands today before naps, so I had the whole day to paint! It was wonderful to just get in the creative mindset and be able to stay there for an extended period of time instead of in 30-minute increments or less. I finished three paintings for my friend, Becky (they were ones like I've already shown here before, so I didn't take any more pictures). I have more orders, but I don't have the canvases in yet, so I actually painted a couple of things for us! That doesn't happen often, but I was so excited. I had some 9x12" thin canvas boards here, so I just let my creative juices flow. The first thing I did was to paint something for our entertainment center shelf. I'd been wanting to do something similar for a while, and I wanted to bring some of that background color in for spring too. I'm still not sure if I'm finished with it, but I'm going to look at it for a while before I mess with it again.
Next, I wanted to do something for the boys' bathroom. I'd painted a paper mache W and C a while ago, but I was tired of them.

Their bathroom is kelly green and navy (cute stripes on the towels and shower curtain). Will has a hard time remembering to wash his hands after he uses the bathroom, so I painted him a reminder (with bubbles since he can't actually read the reminder yet)! I hope it works! After I took these pictures, I added a thick coat of varnish so it wouldn't get ruined on the bathroom counter.

Scripture

2009-02-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

I've been asked recently to paint two canvases with Bible verses on them. Two very different styles, two very different purposes. Equally inspiring families.

10x30" Hope and a Future

16x20" Do Not Fear

Christmas Orders

2008-12-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I've been pretty horrible about updating this blog. Sorry. I'm not sure how much to post because I'm making things for people to give as gifts, and I don't want to ruin any surprises. I am officially not taking any more Christmas orders. I cannot believe how soon Christmas is! I'll post pictures after the holidays of all these gifts I'm making. Feel free to contact me with any orders, as long as you don't need them until after Christmas.

Back to painting...

More Ornaments!

2008-11-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some new sweet girly ornaments. If you're interested, email me.

New Ornaments

2008-11-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some new ornaments. I did the first one to go with a wedding gift for my husband's cousin and fiance who are having a Christmas wedding. We were married at Christmas-time, and I love all the "Our First Christmas" ornaments we get out every year.

FRONT

BACK

Inspired

2008-11-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

Sometimes customers see something in a catalog or website and want it done a little differently.

This trout canvas is in my oldest son's room.
I got the inspiration from Posh Tots.

This was my own idea. This is another example of a possible trim. This one is a feather boa. Perfect for a little princess.

This one was for my niece.
Inspiration: Giggle.

These three were for a playroom.
Inspiration: Land of Nod

This transportation series was inspired by a set at Pottery Barn Kids a couple of years ago.

More Pictures

2008-11-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

This name canvas is very popular. Great for Christmas, weddings, anniversaries, etc.

All canvases are gallery-wrapped and painted on the edges and do not need framing.

These were gifts for a dorm room. I can customize two or more canvases to coordinate for your kids' shared bedrooms, bathrooms, or play spaces.

This baseball canvas is one of my most popular pieces. The first one, above, was custom-made for a little boy's nursery. It is 36"x36".

This sassy painting was a custom project, too, and features a trim around the edges. You are welcome to request a trim like this or any others for your piece.

Latest Designs

2008-11-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

*Please check back often. I will continue to post new pieces. All items are hand-painted and customized for you!

CHRISTMAS DESIGNS:
PERSONALIZED ORNAMENTS $12
YOU CHOOSE THE DESIGN AND COLORS!

CUSTOM ORDERS: PAINTINGS ON CANVAS
PRICE DEPENDS ON SIZE

PICTURE FRAME: HOLDS A 3.5"X3.5 PHOTO
$20

HALLOWEEN DESIGNS:
WOOD SIGN
4"X6" PICTURE FRAME

I'LL EVEN PERSONALIZE YOUR PUMPKIN

Welcome to Sweet Pea and Pumpkin

2008-11-01T18:12:00.000-07:00

I'm starting this blog as a way to show samples of the canvases, frames, and ornaments I'm painting. I am working on an etsy store, but I'm using this in the meantime.

Please email me with any questions or to place an order. Prices do not include shipping, and payments will be handled through Paypal unless you are local.

Thanks for looking!