hearts – mamasbrush

Welcome to our Little Lot – Custom Christmas Sign

This is one of my favorite designs to date! (And with 2 colorways!)

Whimsical Christmas trees with hearts and snowflakes. Wording reads, "Welcome to our little lot". Great Christmas decor for your large, small or growing family! | mamasbrush designs

Happy Advent Season, and Merry Christmas to you all! Things have been busy at my house of late, which means they’ve been slow here! I have some posts I hope to get up in the next couple weeks, so we’ll see what happens! 🙂

This is the latest version of my custom tree lots. I love my old version (one like it here), and it’s ironic claim that my family of 8 is a “little” tree lot. Sorry… I find those sorts of things fun. 🙂

This latest version was originally designed for my pastor’s wife to replace the one I hand painted for her several years ago. Almost right after I gifted it, their family decided to adopt again… a set of 4 siblings! Then their oldest married! And a baby! It was clear that I needed something that would be easy to adapt for a growing family! This is what I came up with.

These are great for large families, but you can also get them for small families. You can see several other family groupings and the second colorway at my Etsy shop.

While you are there, use coupon code TREELOT30, to get it at 30% off through Decmeber 8, 2022. I like to give my readers this exclusive discount whenever I list something new. (In fact, if you ever see something new that I haven’t talked about here yet, message me about it and I’ll give you a special discount code to save you even more! –Hint Hint). You can also click here to have the discount automatically added.

You can find me gathering here.

Whimsical Tree Artwork and borders for Family Tree Record Books

I sketched out this whimsical tree illustration last year, but never got to do anything with it. This year when my mom asked me to make a cover for the book she was putting together for her aunt’s family tree, I knew the two would come together nicely. I’m so pleased with how it turned out.

My mom has gotten into the whole ancestry.com thing in the last year. She has a lot of time when she can’t do much else than to research online and so it is a good fit for her. And she loves it. I love hearing about it, but the research of it all sounds tedious and awful to me. Maybe it’s the stage of life I’m in.

I barely had the energy this time of year to make it pretty for her. 🙂 And though I procrastinated like crazy (I don’t usually want to paint after a day of being outside), I did eventually get it done.

She’s putting together a binder of all the information she found about her aunt’s family. She is going to fill in these forms, but wanted them dressed up a bit. Her original request was for me to doodle something in the margin for her to color in. She really wanted to color it herself… I offered to paint it. While we were brainstorming, I asked if she wanted something for the cover.

That’s where this was born. I love the way the root tendrils frame not only the title, but also the “researched by” area. And the whimsy of it all just makes me smile.

Have you done any research on your family tree?

Artwork and borders for Family Tree Records

Gathering here.

Tweet Hearts | Art Journal Prompts from February

I never did finish my February Art Journal Prompts from February. I joined in with Awesome Alice during the month and had a lot of fun. But, as is the case most years, things get busy around here from the last week of February through the third week of March with several family birthdays. I decided to finish them up though, so here they are .

I have to admit, they aren’t my favorite work. A couple are cute, but I think my first few weeks turned out better. Still, I’m not here to make myself look like a great artist, but to share what I do as I grow. 🙂 I hope you will give it a try knowing perfection is not the goal.

The Tweet Hearts (promot: “sweet hearts”) were my favorite this time around.

Followed by the “XOXO” prompt…

And then the “chocolate” prompt”.

I think I’ll do another month sometime. For April, if I have time, I think I’ll just pick a few of my favorite ideas to do. Thanks Awesome Alice for making those lists!

Gathering here.

February Art Journal Prompts – Week 3

I had a lot of fun with week three of the February Prompts from Awesome Alice. Let’s get to them…

Chocolate Chip Cookie in Watercolor — Prompt: Cookie

Watercolor Flowers - Journal Prompt — Prompt: Flowers

I did these flowers without a sketch. I just jumped in with the watercolors and added the lines later. I don’t do a lot of these, so they were outside my comfort zone a little. I could have done a simple flower (what I would normally do), but I wanted to use this opportunity to push myself. That is what this exercise is all about for me after all. 🙂

Forever and Ever - Hand lettered — Prompt: Forever and Ever

Oh My Darlin' Clemintine Hand lettered - Prompt: Darling — Prompt: Darling

My children keep asking if this is a peach. I’ll admit, it does have a bit of a peach look to it, but it’s totally a clementine. 🙂 The clementines we buy each winter are “Oh my Darlin'” Clementines, so I had to try this. Plus, it pushed me again. 🙂

Art Journal Prompt: Sweet Hearts — Prompt: Sweet hearts

Art Journal Prompt: you make me happy (hand lettered) — Prompt: You make me happy

Art Journal Prompt: My heart is yours — Prompt: My heart is yours

I actually really love this one, but I don’t love the way it turned out. I did some more working with it on paper after this was done and have come up with something I’m excited to debut in next Valentine’s printables., so if you like my stuff, you may want to subscribe so you don’t miss it. 🙂 (shameless plug)

Have you seen week one and week two?

Gathering here.

Cacti in Mugs – Repeating Pattern

I’ve created another repeating pattern for Spoonflower’s Design Challenge. The main reason I enjoy participating in these is because they push me to create something I wouldn’t otherwise create. This week’s theme is Desert Modernism, and while I’m not sure I’d call this modern, it is my take on their theme. I wouldn’t have chosen to paint cactus just for me and I certainly wouldn’t have thought to put them in mugs if I wasn’t painting them at all.

In the end, I’m a super pleased with how they’ve turned out. Voting is over here if you are into that. 🙂 (Voting now closed. I didn’t win… but it’s okay, I’m just in it to grow.)

What do you think?

Gathering here.

My February Art Journal Prompts

This month, I decided to join in with Awesome Alice and her February Hand Lettering Prompts. That said, I’m doing it my way. 🙂 (I almost never follow a recipe exactly.)

What are my tweaks? First, I’m doing a combination of hand lettering and illustration, depending on my inspiration. Second, I’m not necessarily doing one each day (obviously, since I have the first 7 done already.) But for me, it’s more something to push me out of my comfort zone. I joke with people that if I just painted what I was comfortable all the time, I’d only ever paint pumpkins. But there is some truth to it. 🙂 But I do intend to do all 28… whether I want to or not.

Below, I’m including the original prompt with the pic.

Rose - hand lettered February prompt — 1. “Red Roses”

A love note from God - hand lettered February prompt — 2. “Be Mine”

This is one of my favorites. Isaiah 43:1 says, “But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (emphasis mine.

Jesus, You are enough - hand lettered February prompt — 3. “You are enough”

Hearts - hand lettered February prompt — 4. “Heart”

Romantic Bunnies - hand lettered February prompt — 5. “Romance”

This is my first attempt at bunnies. I never would have tried them without the prompt.

I love you - hand lettered February prompt — 6. “I love you”

Cupid's Bow - hand lettered February prompt — 7. “Cupid”

Okay, so it’s cupid’s bow. I decided it was close enough.

It has been a super fun challenge for me so far, but I am pretty sure it’s just going to get harder. 🙂

Gathering here.

Valentine Tags in Watercolor

I posted about these tags last year, so there isn’t much to say. I covered the fact that I do indeed know how to spell “delivery”, but something about the phrase “special deLOVery” just makes me smile.

These were a handful of tags I made my first Valentine’s day painting. Just 6 months in. I believe they are inspired by the beautiful works over at Elvie Studio.

I picture them tied to a gift. Maybe a box of chocolate, or bacon roses, or jerkie. Maybe in a care package for a daughter in college, or tucked in a bunch of flowers.

Where would you use them? Here is a printable sheet of them all for you to use. I hope you like them. (Click the link below the image.)

Valentine Tags Printable — Download this 8.5×11 sheet of Valentine Tags here.

I found that they printed better on card stock than on regular paper, but maybe your printer is better than mine. 🙂

***Official legal stuff: Copyright remains my own. Please only use them personally or in your classroom. Print them and give them as gifts. But please don’t distribute them online or claim them as your own. If you want to share them on your own blog, please be sure to give me credit and include a link back here. Thanks! They are my original work and I’d like to be able to continue sharing what I create with you all.

Gathering here.

Conversation Hearts with Bible Truth for Valentine’s Day

It’s a message that everyone needs to hear! That God is love, that Jesus loves you, and that we are to love one another.

Christian Conversation Hearts with Scripture | mamasbrush designs

Valentine’s Day is either looked forward to or dreaded by most. Good relationship with lots of romantic feelings? Good day. Not in a relationship, hurt by someone, alone? Worst day ever.

But it occurred to me a a number of years ago, when I was trying to decide what I wanted to teach my children about this day, that it can be one more opportunity to point them to Jesus.

And so when I started painting a couple years ago, I created these sweet (lol… see what I did there?) little cards, a set of six, that I have framed to display in my home. I don’t know yet where I’ll put them this year (our home is ever being renovated, so each year my set up is different), but that’s not really the question you need to ask yourself. The question you need to ask is where will YOU put them?

I made them smaller for giving out too! The kids at school or church? Perfect! A way to encourage others or tell them about Jesus! I love to put a little Valentine on the breakfast plate for each of my kids on Valentine’s Day. It’s a great start to our homeschool day!

UPDATE: As of 2022, I’ve started an Etsy shop. I’ve updated these cards a bit and cleaned them up. They are available now! Click over for clipart, prints, and cards!

***Also: More Valentine Printables here and here!

Speaking of spreading the message, will you help me? I haven’t found much of this sort of Valentine decor and cards around and I’d like as many people as possible to have access to them. Would you please share this post on social media? Pin it, tweet it, post it somewhere. Do it yourself or click on the share it buttons at the bottom of the post. I’d really appreciate it!

And if you print anything for yourself? Please leave me a comment! I’d love to know what you plan to do with them! 🙂

Go forth and share the message of God’s love with those around you!

Gathering here.

God is Love Conversation Hearts Repeating Pattern

It’s been a month since I’ve entered a Spoonflower Design Challenge. Life just got too hard. And on top of it all, my husband’s at home schooling got behind and my access to Photoshop is tied to his computer. Not a problem… I had plenty else to do!

This week the theme is a little Valentine’s repeating pattern. I painted these fun hearts last year, but they weren’t done, so I only blogged a few of them. It’s a little early for V-Day, even for me, but since I entered these in the challenge, I thought I’d share it with you. Head over to vote if you like it! 🙂

I’m hoping to share my original COMPLETED project with you closer to February. Stay tuned!

Gathering here.

Snowman Valentine’s

I sketched out these little cuties last fall, but they never came to be until now. I dreamed them up with Christmas in mind, but I just love how perfect they are for Valentine’s Day! At least here in snow country. They may not have been fully appropriate where I grew up in southern California where we only ever saw snow on the ground one time in my entire childhood. But here… here we have snow. Not today of course. Today we have mud.

Sorry, back to the point! Snowman Valentines!

Mother and Child Snowman Valentine Card — Mama Love

If I can pull it off, I want to scan and print out 6 of these mama love cards to give my 6 sweethearts tomorrow. I thought about putting the words “My mama heart loves you” or “Mama love” or something else specifically “mama-ish”. But I’m glad I didn’t. This way it can be used differently… like from a daughter to a mama for instance… or grandparent or auntie or whatever. Lady to child… or child to lady, you fill in the blank. 🙂 Maybe I can even get them in my shop for next year. Who knows!

Romantic Snowmen "Let's Get Cozy!" Valentine Card — Let’s get cozy!

I just love this one. I designed it first. Something about snow people getting cozy just makes me laugh. Maybe it’s the sharp ice crystals or the thought of the wet cold. 🙂 But these two just make me smile. It’s definitely the message I’m sending this year. 🙂 I’ll be giving this one to my sweet husband! 🙂

How about you? Did you make your own Valentines this year? Leave a link in the comments… I’d love to see them! 🙂

Update 12/2023: I have the sweet snow mama valentines in my shop and the text is customizable to suit you! I’m hoping to get the cuddling snowmen in soon!

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You can find me gathering here.