Shaped Expressions Etsy Shop

After having Our Pups' Portraits painted I began looking for a frame that would accomodate them and a couple more photos of each one of them.  I shared their portraits Here and the problems I was having with a couple of them...and being able to properly frame them.  I told you in that post that I'd find something and when I did, I'd let you know. I'm letting you know...Now!  Here are the Pups' Paintings... As you can see, they are peculiar sizes
and all different, with 3 painted horizontally and one vertically and off center.  Jasper, the white Maltese bottom right is very off center.  Rosie, top left, our Coton de Tulear was painted so tiny, her entire body takes up about the same space as Rosie's entire body does in her painting.  (lower left)  The sizes and shapes posed a problem having them framed. but I came up with an idea and went to work at the computer.  And it worked. It took alot of trial and error, to figure out how to get headshots of each of them from their portraits and get them all the same size.  I had to crop, re-size and re-size some more...then I had to figure out how to print them to get them to fit into 4x4" frames.  But, I did it!!  

 Here is the Layout of Paintings and Photos I wanted to use...

Each Row up and down with 3 photos of each Pup - all 4 of them!  {remember Benny died on December 7, 2013 at only 4 1/2 years of age - you can read about that Here}

And then...I found a lovely shop on Etsy called...

Shaped Expressions

and they have the cutest frames, in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors - even unpainted, so that you can finish however you would like.

Here are the shapes and colors, followed by the collage frame.

I ordered the Twitterpated in Black.

I selected the shape TWITTERPATED in BLACK, with the 16 4x4" squares.

I had several questions for Desirae at Shaped Expressions...and she quickly answered them all.  Here are some of her answers:

What kind of paint do you use?  Is it sprayed on or brushed on?  

-When we paint the frames we spray them with cabinet grade paint in a professional spray booth. If you choose to paint it your self you can use latex, acrylic or even spray paint. Just be sure to sand between each coat of paint with a very fine sandpaper.

What are the inside and outside opening dimensions?

-Each opening will fit a 4x4 photo with roughly 3-1/2" of the photo showing from the front. 

What kind of backing holds it all in place?

-Each 4x4 opening will have a 4x4 fiber board backing held by flexible tabs that can be bent in order to put your pictures in.

Is there hardware on the frame for hanging?

-Each frame comes with a keyhole cutout for either vertical or horizontal hanging. 

What are the overall dimensions?

-The overall dimensions of the frame are roughly 19"x22". The openings will be the same no matter what frame shape you order.  Our frames are 5/8" thick. 

When I ordered the Frame, I ordered the acrylic inserts to cover the photos...and protect them.  They are nice, sturdy little inserts, not flimsy at all.

Now...are you ready for the FINISHED FRAME?  It's hanging in our den, above a console with a lamp on it.  Here are the pix I took...the glare you might see on the frame and pictures is from a window directly behind where I was standing.  I had the pleated shade up about 8" so that I could see, and somehow the sunlight still hit the frame...well that and the lamplight, too!

When I made the photos of the pups (all 12 photos), I put a corner frame in white around them, to make them "pop" in the black frame...and they did just that!  When I printed off the paintings and the other photos I'd taken of the pups, I just printed them on a slightly heavier printer paper.  No special paper, no special anything...just time figuring it all out for proper sizing.

I hope you enjoyed this endeavor of mine.  I know I'm very happy with how it all turned out.  And I want to THANK DESIRAE for all of her patience and help.  

Flashback Friday - Cars of 1964

Welcome to Flashback Friday!  Thanks for stopping by...I hope you're enjoying these Flashbacks as much as I am!  Today, I thought I'd share a little story of my Dad and me...when I was young and into my teens.  My Dad was big on cars.  Dad was always pushing, towing or dragging "dead" cars into Dealers' lots and buying a different car.  It was hard to keep up with what car my dad
was driving!  This beauty is a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500...a car I remember my dad driving.  When we would travel as a family, we'd usually be going on a 1,000 mile trip to New York to visit family.  Dad always believed in being frugal (I think my mom called it cheap).  Dad wanted to take sandwiches in the car, and drive and drive and drive...and only stop when we absolutely had to.  I got car sick quite frequently, so there were extra stops in there that he wasn't too keen on.  So, he - at least I think he thought of ways to distract me, by playing games as we drove.  Car games were popular - like name the car, guess how old the car is...what state is the license plate from...things like that.  So I got really good at naming cars and even the year of the car.

Dad built a 2-legged bed to fit in the backseat of whatever car we were driving.  It had 2 legs and a flat piece of plywood that fit tightly over the seat.  Then there was some sort of mattress he'd put over it...and we would sleep at night, while he drove.  I did even worse at night in the car - as far as getting car sick went, so I most times tried to stay awake.

Here are some more 1964 cars...can you name any of them before you see the names of them?  Did you play interesting games to make the time go by faster when you were in the car as a kid?

1964 Ford Thunderbird

Another 1964 Ford Galaxie 500

So, at night when we drove, my dad asked me to be his co-pilot (I did it during the day, too).  I had to help direct where he needed to drive.  At night, I had a flashlight and a big fold-up map (yes, I'm a woman who can fold a map!)...and I would study it and keep track of signs so I knew where we were and where we had to turn or go in a different direction.  I got very good at directions...reading maps and somehow acquired a built-in compass.  I never get lost...never get turned around.  I flew to Tucson, Arizona some 20 years ago, for work...and was met by a couple of managers who'd gotten into town a few hours before my flight did.  As we were leaving the airport, I asked immediately where they were going.  The 2 managers, both men, chuckled and asked me "Why?" and I said that if we were going to our Hotel to get ready for our meeting, we were going in the wrong direction.  They laughed some more and said "no we aren't" and I said "yes you are".  After driving about 15 to 20 minutes and seeming to be going away from Tucson, they said, "OK, if you know we're going the wrong way, what way should we be going?"  I told them how to get to our Hotel and we JUST made it to the meeting on time.  I had never been to Tucson and outside of checking the location of Tucson in Arizona...I really hadn't even given any more thought to the actual city, the layout or proximity of the Hotel to the Airport...but I knew we weren't going the right way!

My hubby really hates that I ALWAYS know when we're going the wrong way...and he doesn't.

My dad always had some fun way of keeping my mind off the fact that I was in a moving vehicle and that my tummy did like that.  And I loved him for that.  It was fun, too!  And...while I was awake with him driving and the others asleep, I usually had a POP with my dad.  That was special too! 

1964 Mercury Comet

1964 Studebaker Lark Daytona

1964 Volkswagen Bus

Volkswagen Bus...another vehicle we drove on a long trip - don't remember if it was to New York or where though.  Strange little bus.  I remember my mom really disliked it.  I thought it was cute.

1964 Ford Fairlane

Lots of times, I would go to work with my dad, too.  He serviced time clocks, so we went to lots of different places together...sometimes driving our own car, sometimes driving a company vehicle.  And getting car sick was something that would always happen.  YUCK!!  But, one time, my dad had to work on some time clocks at a hospital.  Some how, he came into contact with a doctor and told him how sick I was feeling after our drive and the doctor actually came out to talk to me.  I remember him saying that my color was a bit off...and I was perspiring.  He also told me to chew gum, something my mom wouldn't allow me to do ever!  He also suggested that I take big breaths through my nose and exhale through my mouth, slowly and gently.  He said that should help alot in keeping the car sickness under control.  He also said to only look out through the windshield, not the side windows, because things through the side windows seem to move so much faster that we actually were.  He told me to keep my chin up, literally, and not look down at my lap if I start to feel sickly.  Sometimes, it would work...others not so much!  

As I got older and learned to drive, I still got car sickness...DRIVING!  The problem just one day stopped being a problem.  That was probably about 30 years ago.  Strange...but good.  

1964 Chevrolet Impala SS

1964 Pontiac Tempest LeMans GTO

And the last car...

1964 Corvair

You never know what I'll be sharing with you...or what year from the past we'll be in...but we'll have fun, because we're together!

Paper Rose Wreath

Oh my...this is just a Gorgeous Paper Rose Wreath!!  Want to Make one for Yourself or Someone Else?  Then, Check out this Tutorial that StephanieLynn put together for us to use.   
PAPER ROSE WREATH

We Will Be Like Him!

Contemplating The Cross This Easter

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.  Oh, what we miss out on when we rush past the cross of Christ.  Oh the richness and reward when we stop to linger before it, when we take the time to “consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself” (Heb. 12:3).

In a culture where crosses have become commonplace as architecture and jewelry, how we need to truly gaze upon the cross of Christ in all of its ugliness and beauty, in its death and in its healing, in the painful price paid  there, and in its free gift of grace. Jesus, keep us near the cross.  

— Nancy Guthrie, from Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

We Shall Be Like Him  

"As Jesus was raised to come back to live on Earth,
so we will be raised to come back to live on Earth."

We have an example in Scripture of what a resurrection body is like. We’re told a great deal about Christ’s resurrected body, and we’re told that our bodies will be like his. The empty tomb is the ultimate proof that Christ’s resurrection body was the same body that died on the cross. If resurrection meant the creation of a new body, Christ’s original body would have remained in the tomb.

When Jesus said to his disciples after his resurrection, “It is I myself,” he was emphasizing to them that he was the same person—in spirit and body—who had gone to the cross (Luke 24:39). His disciples saw the marks of his crucifixion, unmistakable evidence that this was the same body.

Jesus walked the earth in his resurrection body for 40 days, showing us how we would live as resurrected human beings. In effect, he also demonstrated where we would live as resurrected human beings—on Earth. Christ’s resurrection body was suited for life on Earth, not primarily life in the intermediate Heaven. As Jesus was raised to come back to live on Earth, so we will be raised to come back to live on Earth (1 Thessalonians 4:14; Revelation 21:1-3).

Eternal Promises

The two told what had happened ... and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them. ... He said to them, “Why are you troubled ... ? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself!” Luke 24:35-36, 38-39

Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” John 20:26-27 —Excerpted from Life Promises for Eternity by Randy Alcorn

Rejoice, O Christian - He Is Risen

"Come, see the place where the Lord lay," with joy and gladness. He does not lie there now. Weep, when ye see the tomb of Christ, but rejoice because it is empty. Thy sin slew him, but his divinity raised him up. Thy guilt hath murdered him, but his righteousness hath restored him. Oh! He hath burst the bonds of death, he hath ...come out more than conqueror, crushing death beneath his feet. Rejoice, O Christian, for he is not there—he is risen. — Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime. — Martin Luther

Randy Alcorn

Eternal Perspective Ministries

He is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them. Before starting EPM in 1990, Alcorn for 13 years co-pastored Good Shepherd Community Church outside Gresham, Oregon. He has ministered in many countries, including China, and is a popular teacher and conference speaker. Randy is a best-selling author of over 30 books including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, and the 2002 Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home.

Door County La Maison

Imagine arriving at a 1000 acre private preserve, the privilege of meandering through a boreal forest and flowering meadows only to arrive at your waterfront retreat. All truly great homes start with the right piece of land and this stunning home was placed just right for viewing the water, the forest wildlife and the dramatic sunrises. The lines of the home are
meticulous, creative and thoughtful. You'll love this home from the  moment you swing open the oversized front door and are immediately surrounded by the finest materials from the world over and craftsmanship to match. It is the perfect home for many lifestyles, from those who cherish their privacy to those who  want an expansive home for family or entertaining friends. And it's only 6 miles from town.

Where is this fantastic home?  It's located in Sister Bay, Wisconsin - in Door County.  We've looked at other properties in Door County in previous Home Tours.  If you'd like to see those also, click Here. 

La Maison des Deux Fleurs

4 bed,  

4 full bath,  

10,000 sqft - single family home

Built in 2001

On 21 Acres

3 Car Garage

Listing Price $8,150,000

MLS #123787

View the Listing Here

Thanks for joining me for this Home Tour in Sister Bay Wisconsin - Door County...my favorite vacation destination ever!