Edible Heart Treats

Dress up your breakfast for your Valentine.



Instead of a just a slice of bread use your heart shaped cookie cutter for a perfect heart. I then put some delicious apple butter on top in a heart shape...and now I feel like a princess!



Here we have the westie who is the Queen's Food Taster. These hearts are very cute too and tasty. An watercolor 2.5 by 3.5-inches aceo I have for sale.

Bright Star Movie Costume Designs

Janet Patterson did an outstanding job with designing Fanny Brawne's clothes in the movie Bright Star. She designs 19th century costumes with whim and attention to details. For the above soft pink dress and coat she said, "I used the romantic valentine theme to select the fabric..." and she was off with her imagination and style. The dress is adorable.

While we are snowed in here in Maryland (I'm really understanding old-fashioned snowshoes now, not so beautiful but very, very helpful) sunny Los Angeles is hosting the 18th annual "The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design" at the museums and galleries at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The costumes from the academy award nominees are on display. Winner will be announced in March 2010. The fun part is that Janet Patterson's costumes are there from the movie Bright Star! Also showing there are costumes from "The Young Victoria", "Nine" and "The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus."

I am beginning to really notice details on dresses because my dolls are somewhere between the romantic 19th century to the primitive peasant style to painted cloth dresses. I'm just starting to add ruffles to my dolls dresses. I saw recently laid my eyes on some antique dolls that were wearing accurate period clothing from the time frame they were made in. Amazing costumes. Very elaborate. If that doesn't motivate you to experiment and design with more detail!

I shall practice a few male costume designs on my westie dog, Sir Salty, first. How much clothing can he handle? He doesn't like hats that much or anything slightly binding.

Primitive Folk Art Sculpted Black Americana Doll

Dollmaking is an art that does not grow old for me. I've always thought of myself as a painter and not a scupltor. That changed a few weeks ago when I started my very first clay dolls!

I tried to sculpt Valentine from one of my black folk art paintings. I must confess I enjoyed painting her the most when creating her. Sewing is another creative avenue.

Valentine's hair is pulled into a side bun. She stands 20 1/4-inches tall. Straight and elegant. Valentine is up for sale on ebay now. Just type candylei in the search box. Be sure to stop back in to see my other dolls that are nearing completion.

SHABBY CHIC Frida Kahlo Valentine Hearts Painting

My new Frida painting has those soft colors in it that we love Shabby Chic for. Especially the Shabby Chic sheets...the tiniest little soft pink roses sprinkled generously about on the white clouds of cotton. If you look closely Frida's bodice has some of those roses on it. Handpainted.

The pink heart swing is like a dream...who would want to sit on the dull black and gray ones when you can sit swing on this one for the romantics. Frida has yummy chocolate valentines, a red, rich-fragrant rose in her hair, fresh air whistling by her cheeks and a bluebird perched on her toe! That is love!

This cute heart painting is up for grabs on ebay today. And I think I have had chocolate myself every day for the last week which was around for grabs. That just comes from painting valentines and standing in lines at stores and of course, I love it.

Love is Heart Cupcakes- Daily painting Valentines

Our cat used to have the midnight crazies and now it just wants to steal our whipped confections. Thus came about this 5 x 10-inch painting titled "Heart Stealer." Don't let the cute heart glasses fool you. Kitty is cute though. Kitty only has eyes for cupcakes...paws are going to make them hers. The bluebirds wait for the crumbs.

I seem to zig zag back and forth from day to day from soft colors to bright, rich saturated colors. I tried to add a few light notes to the rich ones...such as the light pink dress and the light green shirt. I do love the rich red, orange and pink color combinations in the garden and in art on canvas. Even textiles. Think merrimekko.

Up for sale on ebay.

Boy Meets Girl and they Fall in Love

I think you could find many different verbs to describe all the emotions of falling in love. And they are all opposites of each other! Worried-Happy, etc. etc. etc......Think roller coaster. That describes this sweet painting titled "Lovesick". They give each other Valentines cards and here they got each other the very same card! She's amused and he hasn't even noticed yet as he's worried if she'll like the card. He is from New York City...dressed in all black.

Little chihuahua wears his heart sweater looking for love.

As for colors....you can see I went back to my light mossy green. I think it makes a soft background color. I look at out walls and they are all the same colors, but the shadows fall and with the lightshades make about 10 different colors in the room...except they all come from the same color. I try to remember when I paint that nothing is going to be the same flat color! Light affects all areas.

I am trying to make some small paintings that have a hint of valentines in them. Up for sale on ebay now.

Mixed Media collage Folk Art

Second day of daily painting assignment. Nearing midnight on this Christmas Day but I did not want to fail and here is my painting. I do love collages and cutting up papers and recycling into ART. The cutest kids are in this one. Write about love...and the boy makes a hat out of his paper while the girls hold theirs proudly in front like banners...(or are they shielding their hearts?) This I did with valentine's day in mind. I used the colors of the heart candies that kids give away in elementary school. Green, pink, orange, and white.

We had a wonderful Christmas Day and I hope yours was enjoyed as well. We are full, warm, happy, and now tired. Merry Christmas.