EASY AS 1 . 2 . 3 . ..

When I see a beautiful flower,

 I can look at it

 and see the contours and the shading 

and, in my head,

 it seems as though I could paint

 what I see. 

 But, put a brush in my hand

 and the doing of it 

is non-existent.

The sky is fascinating to me. 

 I see a cloud 

and it shows me the exact formations

 and how the coloring could be achieved

 but, again,

 if I were to take brush to canvas,

 the concept would

 elude me.

I did, however,

 back in the late 80's and early 90's,

 hand paint sweatshirts

 that I sold at craft fairs 

and I did sell a lot of them

 but,

 they would never

 have become a reality

 if I couldn't trace the picture first

 onto the shirt

 and then follow the exact placement

 of colors and shading 

that were shown in the example.

When I was a young girl 

the paint-by-number concept was born.

  What excitement there was

 when I could pick up a brush

 and create such a beautiful scene.

  I did a few 

and I seem to remember

 a lot of oranges, browns, and teal

 colors used 

but have no recollection 

of the actual finished subjects.

  The pictures have all gone 

the way of a lot of things 

that are a part of the past

 and remembered fondly.

A few pages from Country Living magazine

November, 1992, when the magazine was much thicker and cost only $2.50

Another fond memory I have

 is of the magazine, Country Living.

 I know the magazine

 is still being published,

 but I suppose that I just have

 an "old school" mentality 

and much prefer

 the magazines of old

 when they weren't 

so slick and shiny looking.

 Back in the day,

 Country Living had a page entitled 

"Simple Country Pleasures". 

It simply told little tales

 of by-gone days

 that were folksy

 and had a very specific meaning

 to the author,

 Jo Northrup.

They all were

 charming and delightful

 stories.

Over the years,

 I suppose it might not have been

 sophisticated enough 

for the new look 

and it was dropped,

 but...

Hallelujah!!

 For the last while

 the page has returned 

with a single photograph 

in the vintage vein

 and each wonderful photograph

 is available 

as a paint-by-number kit.

 The kits are $35

 and supply the art on a stretched canvas

 with all the paint and brushes needed

 to turn the picture 

into a masterpiece.

 The kits are provided by:  www.easy123art.com/countryliving

 I am not now,

 or ever have been,

 compensated by this company.

 All of the thoughts

 are entirely my own.

I have just completed this 

Christmas cow. 

 It was fun and easy to do

 and will be a great little addition

 to the festivities

 this year.

I also have this kit,

 featured in the current magazine,

 which I plan to start soon.

This kit just arrived yesterday

 and I am anxious to see how it goes.

 I sent one of my photos of the Cottage,

 into the company

 and a kit was made up for me.

 The cost for this was $60,

 which I thought was not a bad price

 for what I considered

 a sweet little keepsake

 of the Cottage.

This is the original photo

 that I sent in.

There were, I think,

 three different choices 

for how the kit could be printed. 

 The one I picked

 was 'detailed'

 because who wouldn't want

 an exact replica of the photo?? 

 Well,

 I think I might have made

 a horrible mistake,

 because look how many colors

 and how tiny they all are!!

 I may have a different opinion

 before I finish,

 but FINISH I will!

 It will be fun to see the outcome.

I will keep you informed.

...Judy...

"I adore simple pleasures.

They are the last

 refuge of the complex".

Oscar Wilde

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