Week 10 of Donna Downey's 48 Weeks Journal Workshop ~Dream with your Heart~

          Hello everyone I have been on a roll lately. Living in the fast lane.....working hard and with living on a farm in the summer I sworny LIFE couldn't be busier. What happened to free easy going summers of childhood.....stay up late catch fireflies or "lighting bugs" as I called them to sleeping in late having your friends waiting on your grandmas couch for me to get up so we could play outside all day....drink in the water-hose and wait for the ice cream man or the "fruit man" to come by in their trucks??? Yeah that was the carefree summers.....and of course making papier mache animals. Yep and listening to my aunt say "you are going to clean this mess up" well those days may be over for me....but those vivid memories still scream SUMMER. Although I work hard I also play hard....and still make my walks everyday (or at least we try). We have been up to our eyeballs in blueberries, blackberries, some peaches, and I have had a few figs here and there, they are coming soon tons of green ones this year. TOMATOES GALORE..........No joke its been a great year. Also I have had so many customers who bought my plants come back and tell me that these plants have been the "BEST" most prolific and "tallest" plants they have ever had. You know I'm doing the happy dance inside to know my little plant babies went on to live good lives and produce so well for others.....I have had the biggest thrill this year of hearing that over and over from folks who bought my plants!! #happydance
            So on to the painting,,,,,,,,uh? isn't that what the post is supposed to be about anyway???? Well I am actually multitasking as I type this from bouncing back in forth outside to laundry to folding laundry and adding a video on YouTube and cleaning up the bathroom off of my room. So yep its multitasking. All I can say is "WOW" not only do I go from one process to another "OMG" just amazing process! I can hardly believe how one painting is like my so called favorite and then you do another workshop and bam now its this one is the favorite. This class actually started in 2014 and here it is 2019 and I am just getting back to it. I am sorry I missed the time frame but not all of us can work on our art when we want to, but here I am now getting it done and the class is still available for purchase so its all GOOD!!!! Go to Donna Downey's Website 48 weeks so you can join in on the fun....and see which one of the painting becomes your favorite in your own process.

Here I have tried to show you the gold paint 

again the gold paint in more detail and I just love the "dream with your heart" stamp from Unity Stamps 

 Dreaming of her new adventures and what the future holds for her as she goes forward in search of the new beginnings......what lies ahead can be dreamed with your heart~ Dawn Gallop

the girl really made the whole final touch to the process 

 like I said many times over "Donna Downey" really makes you feel like your in her studio and you are painting with her....

note the layers 

the textures 

again in my happy little place on my porch 

This is that happy little place if you haven't seen it before 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE REST OF THE WEEKS 

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

WEEK 6 

Week 7

WEEK 8

Week 9

Well let me tell you about this little story....I ordered my first prescription Costa sunglasses when Dusty got his glasses which was a really big deal....first off I don't usually a so called name brand. I had justifications for this commitment one we work outside almost all day off and on....so the polarized glasses make them better for your eyes and much clearer. I did get the glass frames as I tried on a bunch and those were the best for me. You need to really protect your eyes well while in the sun. Two white with blue are the same glasses I had when I met Bruce and really never have seen glasses like that before much or ones for me....as Cathi said at the eye doctor (we have known Cathi since the girls were little) she used to live in Gates County and her daughter goes to school with Colten now. She has been working at the eye doctor as long as I can remember and Alexis, Amanda, and Crystal (now Dusty) have worn glasses forever. SO these COSTA prescription sunglasses are a pretty big deal....well it had been six weeks from the time I ordered as they are only made in the Costa lab and then shipped to the eye doctor with my prescription. So its been a right good wait well you know it is summer time.....

Yesterday morning while I was in the chicken coop she called and said UPS had just came and guess what was in the box....with a gift.....MY GLASSES on my birthday too! Yep yesterday I celebrated my 51st birthday.....wtf I always say I ask myself "how did I get here" (a lyric from the Talking Heads song) how did this happen, well it did and now I am 51! 

Bruce taking pics and me posing by the Costa Sunglass Case 

Snapchat 

The morning of my 51st Birthday 

NOW I HAVE SAVED THE BEST for LAST............

<<<<<<<<DRUMROLL PLEASE>>>>>>>

On Bruce's birthday and my brothers birthday Josh WE HAVE A NEW BABY GRANDSON

Levi Sebastian 

Congratulations to our son Bruce Jr. and daughter in law Kimberly for the birth of the fourth child

WOOOOHOOO 

Grandma again!!! 

He is so adorable of course I see my Jr. all over again....so tiny and precious.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Look at his tiny precious face and hands oh my goodness heart flutters 

BEAUTIFUL 

On Sunday I made a big dinner and they came over to visit, my aunt came too I made two cakes a pineapple upside down cake per Bruce's request and a German Chocolate Cake per Colby's request. 

I didn't take a pic of the pineapple one I cooked it in the cast iron skillet as Bruce likes the best. Everyone loved the pineapple cake the most they said. So I think perhaps Colby may request that one again. 

I had made Bruce his own tiny smash cake (extra cake batter) hehehe

This is the German Chocolate Cake and behind it is the Pineapple Upside Down Cake 

Always so much to talk about right.....well I better  close its now time to go collect eggs, make some  goat milk yogurt and finish up things outside.

Have a great week....

btw I am doing better from my sickness I was not feeling good for about two weeks....kept on going but it was hard. 

from my garden

Cyber hugs, 

Dawn Gallop 

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Week 9 of Donna Downey's 48 Weeks Journaling Workshop ~Strength from Within~

        Hello again and today I am so happy I actually got to finish this one.....it had been on hold basically since my last post, I struggled with it a bit and for some reason was stuck on what I wanted to do. My journal is totally different and for some reason I couldn't get flowers to look right in this layout........DON'T ask me why and please don't even question why?? It just wasn't working for me...the inspiration in the class was amazing...no doubt! After the first attempt of flowers I decided to forgo the them and do the elephants and the lotus.....oh my was I glad I did. I tell you this picture doesn't do the paintings justice. It just glows and you can feel the energy.

You can see the workshop by going to Donna Downey's Website 48 weeks

The texture pops and the colors continue to show through. 

I am so glad I continued to follow my heart on this 

The elephant stencil I used was the Donna Downey elephant stencil 

I just recently rode an elephant with my granddaughter Aubrey and it was such a wonderful experience and I am so glad I got to spend the day with my family. 

 

At the Two Tails Ranch in Florida where we rode the elephants I learned so much about them it was really worth the visit and the owner of the ranch she was highly educated and had a lifetime of elephant experience as the elephant ranch has been in their family for nine generations. 

The lotus stencil is a stencil by Julie Fei Fan Balzer Balzer Designs 

I can hardly believe I am getting ready to start week 10 now from a class from 2014. I am so excited to finally get this far.....I am always having to work to run our farm and painting and crafting aren't much in the time allotment. However everyone needs a break and when I can I love to paint.....mostly everything I do I have to make things for others and I love doing that, but when I get to do these classes they are just for me.....I was so happy to get to bring this painting to share and finish it today.....I know you know that feeling! 

I do all these paintings on my back porch and if you haven't seen my video on the porch check it out...

The painted bee box won third place this year

I had just came in from the fields when I took the pic wearing boots on the farm with the goats, bees, chickens, plants, garden.....you wear whatever socks you can put on. The dogs didn't want to be on the porch as it was too hot for them...and no rain....my plants on the porch are doing great. I have been sick like summer cold which is like unheard of us getting sick...at first I thought it was an allergy but I have a cough too. Looks like no kitchen work for me.....oh darn! IDK where it came from I guess all the work has got me weak and my body was screaming REST! We have also been cleaning up the house as Bruce has read the book I spoke of in the tiny house blog post....Book you can read about it. 

If you would like to see the other weeks in the 48 weeks class go to each link below. 

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

WEEK 6 

Week 7

WEEK 8

This is the place I talked about that perhaps inspired me on the paints it is Two Tails Ranch which if you are in Florida or planning a trip it is a must see adventure. We all had blast and enjoyed all of it. Patricia the owner does an amazing job! 

My granddaughter Aubrey enjoyed every minute of it!!!! Such a great day for part of her  3rd birthday celebration. 

These elephants really are absolutely amazing marvelous animals. 

You can see she had a blast 

Skylar and Dusty had fun and got to ride together 

Beautiful and so smart we got to see the elephant paint and even get a bath at the end. 

Super fun day! 

Tomorrow is Bruces birthday he will be 53 years old....oh my has time flown by....

Happy Birthday Bruce! 

Hope you have a great week....I will start on Week 10 by painting the gesso on while drinking my coffee after the goats and feeding all the animals in the morning. 

Saturday we will be at Smithfield Farmers Market from 9-12 

Hugs to all, 

Dawn Gallop

Bonus

A day in the bee yard 

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Week 8 of Donna Downey's 48 Weeks Journaling Workshop ~I AM MORE~

        Hello again here is week 8 of 48 Weeks Workshop class with Donna Downey now this one I must of been inspired with a lot at the beginning of the class as I had already did this week sometimes around the third week or so as it is the third full layout in my journal see below the first version I did of this lesson. Since it was a graffiti theme. Dream is what I call her. I have started working on week 9 however I am struggling with inspiration or something....like in a slump or something. 

IDK why I choose those numbers but I did and they are down now. 

You can see how large this journal is. I had fun making this one too. There is something so satisfying of splatters.

This is a stamp by Donna Downey and it is so true.....which I thought was so appropriate for a this journal page. 

You can really see the texture and the depth 

The bird is my favorite 

This is dream....well when I was a little girl there was a lady I used to talk to all the time whose name was Dreama and there is something about this journal page that reminds me of her...sometimes when your painting your feelings things just trigger memories. 

Dreama was certainly an original. 

While this number is unknown for why I used these particular ones 

                                                             More texture and layers

those eyes 

love the colors 

again more splatter.....so satisfying 

Just a quick post for this weekend ends, its been a great weekend with the celebration of fathers day. 

Although my father is no longer with us there isn't a day that he isn't missed, a day that something or a reminder of him triggers a memory, I see him in my children, and here his voice while doing my work as to something he taught me. A father takes a special man and one that is missed. 

I LOVE YOU RICHARD. 

A special remembrance to him today I played songs that he played while I was a little girl.

Happy Fathers Day to everyone

If you would like to see

48 WEEKS

see the rest of the weeks here 

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

WEEK 6 

Week 7

Stay tuned for Week 9 I will try to get it done asap 

Enjoy your week....

Best, 

Dawn Gallop

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OBX Tiny House Festival

Hello everyone and welcome this weekend we were at the Tiny Home Festival in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was a great event, lots of great tiny homes, ideas, stories, awesome folks and lots of fun. The weather was questionable one minute it was sunny, one minute it was looking like a downpour.....however no rain and it was actually cool and not extremely humid and hot....yay!!! No matter what the weather was or was going to be folks came out and waited in lines to visit the insides of the tiny homes. Bruce, Skylar and I went early that morning basically before it technically started so we could catch a glimpse inside the tiny homes. So well worth it....they are fabulous. It gives a new meaning to downsizing and living tiny.  I just wonder If we could do this? I have so many art supplies and books......heart strings mmmmm idk if that Is so easy to give up to downsize.  Tomorrow we will not be at Manteo for the market as someone else the Bird Guy will be taking my place, Victor and Ellen. 

This Road Gypsy was absolutely Skylar's favorite tiny home. I must say I was quite passionate about it too. 

See the YouTube video I made with Jessie about the Road Gypsy 

                        This Road Gypsy is so adorable and has everything you need to camp or live.

The backside of the Road Gypsy 

How fun was this who doesn't love a chalkboard and chalk....?? 

This gives details how much it cost if they build it and how many hours are in the build 

This was a van 

out the back of the van

the side of the van with the wood stove. 

The chapel which is where you can get married 

This is a lovely art piece the preacher commissioned an artist from Tampa....I just loved it1 

one of the windows in the tiny chapel 

a loft 

this one was awesome too 

a fireplace what!!!  YES!!! 

art work over the tub 

beautiful 

they are all fixed up so nice 

they all had really uniqueness to each and everyone of them 

Too cute 

I certainly did enjoy the buses 

the buses were defiantly something we could do 

You can see the lines here 

The owner of the bus and a beekeeper too

inside the bus 

so cozy and very creative use of space 

The penny table was a conversation piece for sure 

these units were a bit fancy for my blood 

although many didn't find the smaller ones or the buses as cozy and comfy as I did, that's why it is so great to have many choices in the tiny home.....SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE 

this was first thing so the lines weren't as bad as later but still not that bad to wait 

this was the art studio Painted Buffalo where she is doing arts for vets 

this is the daughter Skylar Raee of the Painted Buffalo owner {her mom} (for lack of knowing her exact name) it was a great day had by all. 

There were many speakers there and this was Brenda Mason who is an expert on downsizing and now living in a tiny bus of 310 square feet she has been on many shows like Rachel Ray and offers great ideas and suggestions in her book and an online class. I was able to talk with her about some my concerns and she had solutions. Please do check her into her book it is offered at Amazon and other book retailers in stores and online. 

Thanks for looking and please don't forget to see the YouTube video above. Today we have been busy and as I type this Bruce is actually cutting more cucumbers to make more pickles. 

I am so ready to actually rest as my back pain has been excruciating to the point of going to the ER for relief of something but I know that will create a bill and I already have to work so hard. I couldn't even make it Sunday to the Tiny Home event when It was two day vendor event. I just couldn't go my back pain was so intense I laid on ice and finally around two we went to Jr.s for Dakotas 4th birthday. Which as always we are always working so it was nice to be able to attend. Sometimes things just work out like that. Until next time.....

Stay Tiny....

Dawn Gallop

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