Colorful Sunflower Autograph Collection

If you're looking for a memento type gift or card, this pretty and colorful sunflower design can be just the solution.

The basic design is an outline of a sunflower, with the petals filled in with a variety of fun colors.

These products can be used without signatures, but the signatures will make the items that much more fun and more memorable.

These products can be used to celebrate a new job, a promotion, a graduation, etc. What might you use and for what occasion?

First up is the large Colorful oversized Sunflower Autograph Card. Here, people can sign the petals on the front of the card, and the signatures can become part of the artwork. Or the verse area inside the card can be deleted if you want the signatures to be inside. If you want the verse, it can be customized for any occasion, on the provided template form.

These large cards come in a choice of three sizes: 18" x 24", 24" x 36", and 36" x 48". It ships in a giant envelope. The design is printed on durable opaque plastic that can be written on with a Sharpie. (Do wait between signatures for the Sharpie ink to dry.)

Colorful Flower Sunflower Autograph Congrats Cards
by CherylsArt

With the design printed on an apron, this memorable gift becomes a great choice for a chef, a baker, someone who works in bakery, etc.

The aprons come in a choice of three sizes: small, medium, and large. The strap colors come in a variety of choices, and you can even choose your color on a sliding color strip to pick your color!

The apron is made of 100% polyester, is machine wash cold on gentle cycle, with mild detergent. Do not use bleach and do not iron. This item is to be line dried, but a reviewer did say that it dries easily and still looks great.

Since this is a fabric, I would recommend acrylic paint markers for the signatures. Sharpies would probably bleed and spread out.

Personalized, Colorful Petals Sunflower Autograph
by CherylsArt

For a more permanent autograph gift, the wrapped canvas option makes a fun choice. The recipient could hang it on the wall as a daily reminder. For wrapped canvas, I would also recommend that the signatures be done with acrylic paint markers. They should provide a better light fastness than inks, and therefore hold up longer. The background color can be customized to coordinate with the recipient's decor, and or favorite color.

Personalized, Colorful Sunflower Autograph Canvas
by CherylsArt

Also included in this collection are sweatshirts, tshirts, and gift wrapping sheets. Ideas and suggestions for other items that can be signed, are welcome. I tried to select items that could be easily signed, and also still be legible.

Here is the link for the current collection. Let me know if there is something you want designed that is currently there.

Colorful Sunflower Autograph Collection
by CherylsArt

For those interested in reading the background, this design came about from the inspiration that I received on my original post about the sunflower outline, in which people could have the choice of coloring/painting it in themselves: Pretty Pink Sunflowers Home Collection. Sylvestermouse was reminded of autograph images and Barbara thought it would be fun if the petals were colored in a variety of colors. Voila, I decided to combine the two wonderful ideas. Thank you my friends for sharing your insights!

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Cute Teddy Bears and More Scrapbook Paper

Meet some of the teddy bears, that you'll find in this adorable Cute Teddy Bears and More Scrapbook Paper, paperback. Most of the pages are only teddy bears, and other pages feature some regular bears, koala bears, other animals, and plants and flowers.

Whatever you find, they are adorable. There are patterns of bears, some with backgrounds and some with a plain background. Some are more scattered about, and there is also a fun forest picture that depicts a variety of animals that could be in a forest.

Each set of designs is printed a total of four times, once each on the front and back of two sheets of paper. This provides an opportunity to choose your favorites, and to use the chosen images more than once.

The first pages feature a pattern of cute teddy bears, each wearing a smile and a heart. There is a row of a garland of hearts between them, and they are pictured on a lavender and pink checkered background.

The second set of pages feature a selection of koala bears and bamboo. They are in a different type of pattern and are featured on a background of light green and light orange checkered pattern.

The next set of pages features a variety of one of a kind teddy bears. Each one is either doing a fun activity or supporting their personality, etc., on their fur. The background is white, and the rows are separated by a colorful heart pattern.

The fourth set of pages features alternating patterns of teddy bears on a blue polka dot pattern background. Some of the bears are solid in color, and some are sporting plaid. All are cute and all are wearing bow ties.

The fifth set of pages feature sleepy teddy bears. Most are wearing cute pajamas, and some are in bed. The background is a light pastel blue, with a mixed pattern of white and a medium light blue. It's perfect for imagining a dreamy land.

The next set of pages feature a variety of teddy bears doing a variety of activities. These are different bears doing different activities than what was shown in the third set. It's fun to have variety. The background is white.

The seventh set of pages feature outline drawings of teddy bears and real bears. Kids can use these images as they are, or they can color them in. Since coloring is optional, and the main theme is scrapbook paper, it is only listed as a scrapbook paper paperback.

The eighth set of pages feature some bears with food and some bears walking. The background is a unique pattern of light orange and light green checkered pattern. There are also squiggle lines of orange and peach for added interest and intrigue.

The ninth set of pages features a pattern of bears, all wearing bow ties and sitting in the same position. There are two bears each of six different colors. They're sitting in front of a polka dot background of blue and lavender dots of different sizes.

The last set of pages features a forest scene of regular bears and a variety of animals, including birds, a deer, a skunk, a frog, a squirrel, and more. It's a fun way to children to tell a story, add more animals that they might see in this scene, etc.

This paperback was, in a sense, a collaboration. Each set of designs contains some of my original artwork, whether it is an image or images, and or the background. Other images were from other artists that are on Canva, of which I am a subscriber.

I own own the colorful Hearts Scrapbook Paper paperback, and the images came out great. The colors did not bleed through, and I would recommend them to anyone. Both this book and the Teddy Bears Scrapbook Paper paperback has glossy covers. I prefer them over the matte.

Hope you have found my descriptions helpful.

Amazon might have a new way of downloading the image for me to show the picture of the book, which would really help. However, you can check out the image here, on Amazon, and check the price too. Cute Teddy Bears and More Scrapbook Paper.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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White Stars on Turquoise Stripes Kitchen Collection

This simple design of a pattern of white stars on turquoise stripes is added to a variety of kitchen products; is a great choice for anyone wanting a turquoise themed design for their kitchen(s).

I currently have a mix match of red themed items in my kitchen, I might just have to design a set for me. No one single store had the various items that I wanted, so the shade of red stripes vary from place to place.

With a set made on Zazzle, you'll get greater matching abilities, especially when the items are purchased from the same store.

On this first item, I added the design to a frosted mug. The design shows as more transparent on the frosted mugs. Anyone can easily select from any of the other mugs on Zazzle, and the design will show up as being a solid look.

White Stars on Turquoise Stripes Mugs
by CherylsArt

I have not purchased any of the frosted mugs on Zazzle, but was intrigued by this frosted look. The mugs that I purchased from Zazzle look great and feel great. They are smooth to the touch, and the colors are distinct and show up just as I designed them.

Kitchen towels are another common thing that I look for when making a kitchen set. I made the design with a larger print; I thought they would look better with a less busy pattern. However, if you would like me to design it as a smaller design for you, and or as just a border design on the top and bottom ends, let me know in a comment below. I will be glad to oblige.

White Stars on Turquoise Stripes Kitchen Towels
by CherylsArt

The kitchen towels have a lightweight waffle weave. They are made of a durable woven polyester and polyamide blend microfiber, and are machine washable. They measure 16 x 24 inches. The overall customer rating is 4.8 out of 5, at the time that I am writing this blog.

Other items that I designed to go with this set are cloth napkins, table runners, serving trays, laminated placemats, and oven mitts and potholders.

The cloth napkins come in a choice of cocktail (12" x 12") and dinner sizes (20" x 20"). They can be ordered individually and or in sets of four.

The serving trays come in a choice of two sizes; small (14.5" W x 10" L x 2.125" H) and large (19" W x 14" L x 2.625" H). The handles come in a choice of natural or black. They panel insert is made of a high quality hardboard which has a glossy finish. This item is not made for direct food contact, so dishes etc. will be required to use with these trays.

The table runners come in a choice of three sizes: 14" x 72", 16" x 90", and 16" x 108". They are made of 100% cotton. They are machine wash cold, dry flat, and can touch up with a warm iron.

The laminated placemats measure 12" x 18", have rounded corners, and are made of Polyester-based synthetic paper. I designed them with the design printed on both sides.

The oven mitts and potholders can be ordered as a set, or individually. They have a No-slip silicon part for more safe handling, and each comes with a loop for hanging. These come with a choice of a black or silver option for the silicon side. I did see where a customer was not impressed with the smell of the black silicon. The other complaints were that the loop made the design appear upside down when hanging. With this particular design, that shouldn't be a problem. (However, if you ever order an oven mitt or potholder from Zazzle, and the design is printed in the opposite orientation other than what is depicted when placing your order, then do contact Zazzle within 30 days of your receiving it, for a corrected replacement.) The design side is made of a high quality canvas. Recommended washing is by hand in cold water, and line dry, and do not iron.

Here is a link which shows all of the current white stars on turquoise stripes kitchen products by CherylsArt on Zazzle:

White Stars on Turquoise Stripes Kitchen Set
by CherylsArt

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Football Tshirts, Tote Bags, and Binders

These football themed items are designed with the family in mind. They are football themed, but not team specific. It's all about having some family fun and enjoying the game.

The football themed tshirts simply feature the word FOOTBALL, spelled in capital letters, with the two O's replaced with my painting of two footballs, slanting towards the upper right. I chose a grunge type font as it looks pretty worn, like a football uniform might look. The design looks pretty cool and is perfect for some friendly football fun.

FOOTBALL word tshirts in brown
by CherylsArt

This design is printed on the front, of any tshirt style and color of the customer's choice. The tshirt sizes available, will vary depending upon which style tshirt that you pick. If you need a size that is not listed, then try a different style to see if that works out for what you are looking for.

The basic FOOTBALL word is also ready on various canvas tote bags. There are a variety of styles to choose from. As of the date of this writing, there are five tote bag styles to choose from, ranging from tiny to jumbo, one with a pocket and most without. The color options of the canvas will vary depending upon which canvas tote bag style is selected.

FOOTBALL word tote bags in brown
by CherylsArt

The FOOTBALL binders offer some extra aesthetic appeal. The background on the cover is solid green to represent green turf. On the front cover, is the word FOOTBALL spelled with two footballs for the O's. There is a template placeholder for a person's name which is printed on the top half of the cover. The word FOOTBALL is printed on the bottom half of the cover.

The spine holds another placeholder for additional words. You could add a favorite team name, dates that this football binder covers, etc. The choice is yours.

Personalized Brown Football on Green Binder
by CherylsArt

I have purchased both tshirts and canvas tote bags in the past and have been pleased with my purchases. Overall, customers have rated the binders a 4.7 out of 5, with the majority of customers being very pleased.

These designs are printed on products that are available on Zazzle. I made the football artwork, and Zazzle is the company that does the printing and shipping. Zazzle offers a thirty day return policy within 30 days of receipt of the product(s). Things that are covered are Delays caused by Zazzle, its Makers or Carriers; Production mistakes; Damaged or incorrect items; Misrepresented or otherwise inaccurate product information; and Size or fit related issues. However, they don't cover items outside of Zazzle's control, such as when a Zazzle user places design items outside of the design area. So basically, keep the design within the dashed lines. Zazzle is pretty good about showing you where the safe design area is.

May you find this information helpful, and hope you and your family and or friends enjoy your football excursions.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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I Teach Tiny Humans, Apple Themed Gifts

The phrase, I teach tiny humans, seems to have become quite popular. It seems to have come about from the description of teachers teaching young children. You can find this phrase on a variety of products, in a variety of styles, on Zazzle.

Some products will specify what subject is being taught, others just have the general statement.

I decided to go with my pointillism apple as the background, and chose to go with the general statement. The statement, though, can be customized.

I liked going with the pointillism apple; not only is it artistic, but I remember being taught about pointillism in school. It was a special kind of art.

The first product that I added this statement to is window clings. As of the date of my writing this post, window clings has received on review on Zazzle, a 5 out of 5 stars. The customer said it sticks well and there was no bleed in the printing.

On this product, I added two rows of text, with a shadow text in light green, behind the top highlight text in yellow. The text can be customized; be sure to customize both text fields, and to make them the same. One can also be deleted if you don't want a shadow text.

I teach tiny humans pointillism apple window cling
by CherylsArt

The window cling comes in a choice of five sizes ranging from 4 x 4 inches to 24 x 24 inches. You can also choose from an opaque look to various levels of transparency.

Tshirts seem to be a popular gift for teachers as well. On the tshirt, I chose to make the letters white without any shadow look. I think it looks cute on white tshirts, though any color can be chosen, as well as different tshirt styles and or fabric type. Sizes to choose from for this tshirt style are Small, Medium, Large, XL, and 2XL. Different tshirt styles can come in different size options.

I teach tiny humans, pointillism apple tshirts
by CherylsArt

Mugs are also real popular for teacher gifts. The teacher can used it for their coffee or to store pencils, markers, and such on their desk. It has the same artistic design as the tshirt, with the white on the pointillism apple. As far as mug styles to choose from, there are a variety of styles and color options, and sizes to choose from too.

I teach tiny humans, custom apple mugs.
by CherylsArt

I have purchased both tshirts and mugs from Zazzle at various times, and have been pleased with the print quality from both. I would recommend both.

Do you have a favorite? Do you teach young children, or know any teachers that do?

Thanks for stopping by and sharing this with anyone who would be interested in these.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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My New Favorite Comb - Product Review

I recently purchased a new comb, which is double sided. It has a wide side and a more narrow side.

I almost purchased a different comb, but I paused, and gave some thought to the criteria that I actually wanted. I wanted my new comb to have a point for dividing my hair into sections; that point was really important to me. Low and behold, this comb that I had missed on my previous scans then showed up on my radar. Voila! There was my new comb. Perfect!

This comb is smooth to the touch, and does a wonderful job combing my hair. I use the wide tooth side for combing my hair that is still wet from being shampooed. Although I use a conditioner as well as shampoo, there are still a number of tangles to get out and the wide tooth side of this comb does a wonderful job.

If I want my hair to lay more compact, especially when adding a part to my hair, I use the narrow sided teeth side. It too does a wonderful job.

It's so nice to be able to flip the comb over in my hand to easily get to the desired side. This technique will definitely come in handy when I'm giving myself a haircut!

The comb is made from a combination of bamboo and recycled polypropylene. It is very smooth, and more so than the straight bamboo comb that I had previously.

Another thing I really like about this comb, is that the handle is somewhat wide at the base towards the comb, and narrows down to a rounded point at the end. This part comes in handy for when I want to section off hair for cutting, etc. You can see the handle here, as well as the company descriptions for the various parts.

I highly recommend these combs from ecoTools.

Check price on Amazon.

Happy combing.

Check here to read about how I give myself a short haircut.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Abstract Necklaces and Matching Earrings

Zazzle has a variety of necklace styles to choose from, and here you can find some unique abstract designs that are also on drop style earrings.

This first design features a print from one of my paint pour designs. The colors include aqua, red, pink, and white. The aqua could also be called turquoise. The colors blend into each other and looks like a flowing movement type design.

Red White Aqua and Pink Abstract Necklaces
by CherylsArt

I had purchased a necklace, for my daughter, from Zazzle, over ten years ago. We were both impressed. The design is printed in a medium that reminds me of a resin. It is very smooth, fits perfectly into the necklace frame, and the colors turned out great. The round and square shaped necklaces come in a choice of small, medium, and large. They have an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5.

The earrings are a drop style. I made matching/coordinating earrings to go with each necklace., which are purchased separately.

Here is the fun purple and white abstract background with colorful beads adding pops of color on top of the background. The beads are part of the design and are not separate from the background. I positioned the design at various angles when I designed the items in this set. They have a fun and festive look!

Abstract Purple Drawing Colorful Beads Earrings
by CherylsArt

This next design is a great choice for any patriotic event, and for anyone who just likes the colors of red, white, and blue. This is from another of my paint pour designs. All the items in this set have a vertical positioned design.

Abstract Red White Blue Paint Pour Necklaces
by CherylsArt

If you look in between the blends of purples and lavender, you can see a honeycomb type weave going on. This design offers a more subtle look, and will look great with a variety of purple and or lavender attire.

Abstract Lavender and Purple Earrings
by CherylsArt

The earrings have an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5, as of the date of this writing.

The jewelry pieces come in a special black felt bag, perfect for gift giving.

The printed areas are sealed with a UV-resistant coating, which is water resistant. However they are not recommended to be worn while showering to retain silver plating. Zazzle also recommends not be expose the earrings to cosmetics such as perfumes and other sprays.

I hope that you have found this helpful in your search for some abstract necklaces that can be matched with earrings.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Stone Print Business Set, Product Review

When I got to designing more products with this stone print design, I thought it was perfect for anyone who works with stone. I decided to focus on masons, though it can be anybody's focus if they have something else in mind that this can work for. The various text fields are template boxes and can be easily customized.

The mason, or whomever, can begin with customizing business cards to help promote their business. The stone pattern is in shades of orange and tan, and the print is written in white, which shows up nicely on the orange and tan background.

Stone Print, Custom Business Cards
by CherylsArt

A mug sitting front and near center on their desk or counter, is a perfect place for a reminder of the business name, and provides a quick opportunity for customers to jot down a phone number. Business cards also come in handy for this counter/desk as well.

Mason, Custom Stone Print Business Mugs
by CherylsArt

If you like a clean counter, a coaster can provide the perfect resting spot for the mug.

Orange and Tan Stone Print Coasters
by CherylsArt

Custom pens are a great way to promote your business. Customers can easily grab a pen to take notes about their favorite stones, stone color, etc., and they are more apt to keep the pen and other people may see it too.

Stone Print Pens, Custom, for personal or business
by CherylsArt

I hope these products are proving very helpful for any business that works with natural stones. Do let me know if you have any other product requests that you would like to help enhance your business promotion.

I am the artist/designer, and Zazzle.com is the company that does the printing and shipping. If you are going to make multiple orders throughout the year, then I recommend checking in to the shipping offer that Zazzle offers; it can help save quite a bit of money.

I have personaly purchased business cards, mugs, and pens, from Zazzle, and have been pleased with all of my purchases. One thing I will mention, personally I prefer PaperMate pens and will use those refills in my pens from Zazzle. If the pen cartridge is a little long, and hold it up to the cartridge that I'm removing, and trim the replacement off. Works like a charm. Then I can get my favorite ink.

All the best to you and your business.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Journals Can Be a Tool

The word journaling is an overall broad term, which I have gathered to mean, to basically free-write whatever you want to write about.

It can be about a memory, a feeling, a desired outcome, a plan for your day, and I'm sure you may come up with others.

The one that I want to talk about today, is a way that I recently used journaling. I wrote about an instance that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do to proceed. I initially wrote just to get my thoughts down so that I could more easily move forward, and stop giving so much of my thoughts to that instance.

However, once I achieved that, what I felt like was my next step, in order to more fully move on, was to make what I came to, into an affirmation.

I was so pleased with how that went, that I decided to repeat the process. I wrote about another instance that I had been trying to get beyond, with the single purpose of wanting to get to an affirmation about it.

It worked the second time too, even knowing I had an intention of turning what I would come to, into an affirmation.

I found this very helpful. If I had tried to write an affirmation first, it probably would have felt not as complete. There probably would have been some unfinished thoughts that just need to get dealt with.

So I am glad that I used this two step approach.

I used a plain lined notebook, in which I can freely write my thoughts and ultimately what I want to come from them; and a second book, in which I can write down my affirmation that I came too.

The second book is the one that I will keep, from which I can read my affirmations, for however long I want to use those pages.

The free flowing journaling that I did, still has blank lined pages in it for whenever I want to do this again, for whatever reason or purpose. The writings that I did, however, I removed. I tore them up, and threw them away. They had served their purpose. There was no reason to revisit them.

There are a variety of notebooks in my CherylsArt store on Zazzle, if you would like a unique and or personalized notebook.

The sunflower design is an example of one.

Personalized Sunflowers in Watercolor Notebooks
by CherylsArt

There are also plain designs if you prefer something that doesn't have personalization on it, such as this leopard print notebook.

Leopard Spots Painting Custom Notebooks
by CherylsArt

You can browse all the notebook designs here. The larger notebooks no Zazzle seem to show a variety of inside paper styles to choose from. The smaller notebooks, however, do not show that option when I have been browsing. However, if you see a design that you like, click on it, and then check below the featured product that you clicked on, for options to transfer the design to, and select spiral notebook. That should give you the inside paper design options.

Might you give this two step journaling method a try?

Happy journaling and or affirmation writing.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Fun Cat Sayings, Product Reviews

Hello fellow cat lovers. You're purr-fect!

Welcome to my blog that showcases some of my fun cat sayings, that are printed on a variety of products. They can be a gift for yourself, and or for other cat lovers that you know.

This first item is a basic and cute notebook. A simple outline of a cat is drawn and printed on a gray background. The saying is, My cat inspires me. Have you ever had a cat that inspires you? My cat has inspired me to be more active and to also take more naps! Balance is key, she says.

The paper inside notebooks from Zazzle, can be whatever you choose, from ten options. They include college and wide ruled, storybook style, checklist, and more. You can visit the product page to view the different examples.

Cute Cat Drawing, My cat inspires me, storybook
by CherylsArt

I had bought a planter and had it sitting in my living room. My cat jumped right in. It was as good as any box! The text says, "Planter cat. No soil required." This fun design is printed on the mug style and color of your choice.

Funny Planter Cat Mugs, Template
by CherylsArt

This fun gift is for the dogs. Cats and dogs can be best friends, and this cute pet tag is a purr-fect choice for dogs that have cat best friends.

My best friend is a cat, dog pet tags
by CherylsArt

My favorite one is Trampoline Cats. I might have been inspired by my cats to be more active, but my cats were not inspired to be active on my mini trampoline. They only saw it as a new bed that was just cozy enough for the both of them. This fun design is printed on the tshirt style, size, and color of your choice, for any gender and or age.

Two Cute cats on trampoline painting, t shirts
by CherylsArt

All of the above designs were designed by me and can be purchased in my CherylsArt store on Zazzle. Zazzle does the printing and shipping, and offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee that is good for 30 days from the date of your receiving the product(s). I have purchased both mugs and tshirts from Zazzle, and everything turned out great.

Thank you for visiting. May you have a purr-fect rest of your day.

You can browse more cat themed products in my CherylsArt store on Zazzle.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Yard Decorations, Rock and Cement Yard Decor

Many of you know that I create art that I add to online products that people can purchase. Some know that I also create art for my garden. This is my review of this activity.

My first creation was when I decided that the somewhat large rock, looked like it would make a perfect fun frog! I cleaned up the rock and coated it with an all purpose sealer that is weather resistant. The brand I used is Delta Ceramcoat, but couldn't locate the exact item on Amazon. I did however find Delta Ceramcoat Multi-Surface Paints that are good for a variety of surfaces. Amazon included a variety of paints from Ceramcoat, and I believe I saw one that was weather resistant. I would still use the undercoat sealer and final coat sealer though. I usually add 2-3 coats of the final sealant.

As for another alternative, I would give this sealer from Americana a try. It is listed as weather resistant and is good for both indoor and outdoor.

After I applied the undercoat sealer and let it dry, I commenced with painting the froggy features. He is cool and fun! Then I finished with an outdoor sealer made for acrylic paints. I just use the sealers that you can find in the art section for acrylics. Americana is one of my favorites.

As you can see in the photo above, the frog is back in the corner, and looks pretty cool! He has been outside for years, as of this writing, and the paint hasn't chipped at all. He has sat out in full sun, full weather, and then more recently under the overhang from our roof. He has faired very well!

My next creation was Mr. Turtle. Poor Mr. Turtle. He was my first try at painting on cement, which wasn't the real issue. The problem was, I think, that Mr. Turtle was hollow inside. So although he was pretty easy to move around weight wise, his surface didn't hold up. I thought he was going to do as well as Mr. Frog. But oh well. I did apply the various coatings, and gave him a cool look.

He looked pretty good while he was still indoors. But the weather was too much for this hollow critter. I do plan to put some spackling on his back and maybe give him an abstract bandage. We'll see!

Onto Miss. Colorful Bird. This piece is also cement but is solid through. I did not have the issues with this that I had with Mr. Turtle. I don't know if different companies use different types of cement or not, or if it was just from not being solid. I believe I got Mr. Turtle from a garden center; it may have been Lowes. I purchased the bird from Target.

Anyway, Miss Colorful Bird still looks beautiful. Her painted feathers has been outdoors for months now, and she is still looking good. I have not sat her out in full weather like I did Mr. Frog. I hesitate after seeing what happened to Mr. Turtle. So everyone from now on is being placed under the overhang from the roof.

If you were to venture in to painting some outdoor decor for show, I would recommend to buy more solid pieces, or keep the piece indoors. As with all of them, I do recommend a sealer for porous surfaces that are meant for acrylic artistic paints. I have not used the paint meant for houses. And then finish with a final sealer of 2-3 coats. The main paint that I used is from Americana, which is a multi-surface paint, but doesn't not mention being weather resistant, so it will definitely need to be sealed.

If you are looking for concrete animals to paint, you can check out this page on Amazon. There are a variety of options there, including flat type stones. I did not have good luck with that and would recommend choosing something thicker and more solid. Customers have had a good experience with concrete items purchased from Stone Freedom on Amazon.

Happy painting.

Update:

I gave Mr. Turtle a makeover. You can see both paintings printed on these custom tshirts. By the way, Mr. Turtle now has his rightful place back in my flower bed.

Two Painted Box Turtles, Custom Tshirts
by Cherylsart

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Colorful Raised Beds for Gardening

I have been gardening for decades and my desires on how I garden have changed over the years.

Without going into all the background; the short of it is that I prefer gardening in raised beds. I'm also a lover of colors; my latest purchases for my expanding garden area, are colorful raised beds.

Last year I had my old fence around my garden replaced with a black chain linked fence. The inground border that I had around my fruit and vegetable garden, became obsolete. It was no longer evenly spaced from the fence, and there was no way I wanted to resize it, and pull the weeds that had popped up from last year.

I gave it some thought as to what I might do to make gardening life easier on myself. I knew I preferred gardening in raised beds; I had so much more control on the soil that I gardened with, and it was just easier to reach whatever needed reaching.

In my search for raised bed options that I could place around the perimeter of my newly fenced in garden, I happened upon metal raised beds that came in colors! I was pretty much sold on it, but did do my diligent research. After much searching and contemplation, I decided on raised beds from Plant and Plot. You can see three of the colors that I purchased in the photo above. I also purchased two orange raised beds that are smaller.

The raised beds from Plant and Plot come in a variety of sizes, and shapes. The initial size that you order will determine whether or not there are other shapes to build from that kit. With this smaller raised bed kit, it only had the one option, a small rectangle. This finished bed measures 4 x 2 x 1.5 feet. It comes with stabilizing cords that are anchored from one side and are stretched across to the other side. All of the side and end pieces in this kit are to be screwed together. All tools are included in each kit, including the Alan wrench for installing the screws.

By the way, these have an open bottom. They are listed as weather resistant, rust proof, and are made of galvanized metal. I covered each section of ground with cardboard for several days or more to help kill off the weeds and such, before installing the raised beds.

See Small Raised Bed from Plant and Plot store on Amazon

As mentioned, the larger size offers various configurations to choose from. This particular kit that I ordered offered 9 configurations; however, you will only have enough end pieces to build one unit from the kit.

I did however find an option to purchase a 6.4 x 2 x 1.5 size kit. I used this option to build my purple raised beds. For the blue raised beds, I ordered the 8 x 2 x 1.5 size, and just used two less side panels to build those.

The larger size units, came with bendable flaps that fit into the holes of the panel installed next to it. The top, middle, and bottom holes are attached with screws and nuts the whole way. The flaps had to be lined up first though, and some of the flaps needed to be bent out more to line up correctly. I used the end of a Phillips head screwdriver to lift the end of the flap upward, away from the panel, to achieve this. Although the image in the instructions showed someone bending these flaps downward by hand, when attaching it to the next panel, I found that I needed a rubber handled tool to help do the job. That allowed me to press the flap down without slipping off of the metal flap.

The larger sized beds also had rods to install from side to side to help stabilize the bed, rather than the tension cords. This depends on the which configuration you want to build though. Overall, I was able to do it. I got most of them put together without any assistance.

One major note, if it is a windy day, it is best to build where the wind isn't and then move the bed to the desired installation location. I ended up building some of mine in the basement and then my husband and I moved them to the outdoors.

Another note, it is really best and easier if you're not trying to install these on a slope. It can require some extra digging to get the raised bed to sit down further on one end than the other, and level it out. I can honestly say that I got one of my raised beds completely level! Yay me.

Some of the installation was more time consuming than others, but once I got the hang of it, it went pretty well. I did end up ordering more, in various sizes, a total of ten in all.

This link will take you to the Plant and Plot raised bed page on Amazon. Other styles and other companies' raised beds are displayed there as well, where you can browse and see which ones you are drawn to.

Happy gardening.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Rainbow Designs

I love rainbow designs; I like seeing the different colors on various products. They seem to brighten things up.

Years ago, I had made a new design and showed it to my daughter who was in middle school at the time. She told me, Mom, that's what the LGBTQ uses. I wasn't sure what she meant. I was just making a design of the rainbow, like I had done before.

Needless to say, that didn't stop me. I've made a bunch more rainbow designs since then. And I want to say, that rainbows and rainbow colors are for everyone; just in case there was ever any question. Sometimes kids can attach extra meaning to a thing, and adults can too. So again, it's okay to wear rainbow colors and designs, and to enjoy the rainbow colors on whatever they are on. You get to decide if any design has any kind of meaning to you.

I had fun creating the rainbow peace sign hand. I used my own hand as a model, put on a latex glove that was tight fitting, placed my hand into the rainbow paint colors and made a peace sign with it. I filled in the unprinted areas, and voila, my peace sign hand print looked cool!

Here it is printed on stickers. Zazzle, the print on demand company I work in association with, offers seven different sticker shapes. This design can also be purchased on magnets, mugs, canvas tote bags, tshirts, aprons, hats, throw pillows, posters, mousepads, pin on buttons, keychains, coasters, postcards, necklaces, sweatshirts, address labels, and guitar picks. Zazzle has even more products to choose from. Many designs can be easily transferred to a different product, once you are on the product page.

Abstract rainbow hand peace sign stickers
by CherylsArt

Since different people can come up with different meanings for different things, I decided to use the rainbow colors to represent recycled spirits. It's a take on a recycled symbol, incorporating the rainbow colors. I believe in reincarnation, so it made sense that we are all recycled spirits. This unique design is currently printed on canvas tote bags, hats, and tshirts, as of the date of this writing.

Recycled Spirit canvas bags
by CherylsArt

Some of my rainbow designs are more spread out, color wise. Here I used the rainbow colors to fill in guitar shapes I had drawn. Here it is printed on address labels. Additional items include pens, mugs, clocks, and more.

Colorful Guitar Collage in Colors Address Labels
by CherylsArt

I especially like how the word Peace looks, using cutout font letters on one of my rainbow background paintings. Here it is printed on tshirt ornaments. There are a total of five different ornament shapes to choose from on Zazzle.

Colorful Rainbow Peace Word Red Ornaments
by CherylsArt

Here a basic rainbow blend is printed on six inch rulers. It is also available on the 12 inch ruler size as well.

Rainbow Blends Colored Ruler, Choose Size
by CherylsArt

I hope you enjoyed this sampling of my various rainbow designs. You can visit this link to check out all the rainbow designs that I currently have in my CherylsArt store on Zazzle, here: https://www.zazzle.com/store/CherylsArt/rainbow. You will also find rainbow polka dots, mosaics, hearts, Easter eggs, love hands (sign language), teddy bears, butterflies, and raindrops.

I have purchased cards, stickers, canvas bags, address labels, business cards, and more from Zazzle. All of the products have been printed on quality materials and the colors look great. Zazzle has a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, that states: "If you are not satisfied for any reason with any qualified* product you purchase you may return your purchase for a replacement, credit or refund within 30 days of receipt." Restrictions apply to some items, like face masks and stitch files. They go into the details on this on their Return Policy page. You can find the link for that at the bottom of the product pages.

Thank you for visiting. May you have a blessed day.

Cheryl Paton

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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