a TAMM creation - missing in action

I haven't thought much about blogging in a long while, not really sure why, just not been in the best of mindsets. I have been making a lot of new things, but just never in the mood to write about them, which is usually strange, because I love to write, but I think it just has to do with my general feelings of depression and sadness overall with life.  It's hard being a single mom, and the dating scene absolutely sucks around here, especially because I live in a college town, so the bars, if I was inclined to go there are full of young college guys, and that is definitely not what I am looking for.  Then because I don't fit the model stereotype, most guys on the dating websites and apps won't even give me the time of day let alone a chance. It is a real pain in the butt.

The thing is I need to let it all go and just focus on work and my kids and not let it get me down.

So - I'm going to start writing again, blogging more and updating my new ideas and things on the ETSY website here and also working on some other of my blogs to get through these feeling and into a better state of mind. At least I know what I need to do and what helps me.

See you soon!!

DYB - December 8th to 14th Weekly Special

DECEMBER WEEKLY SPECIALS

Only available for one week! Dec 8th - 14th

Our Double Trouble Bars Mix 

You MUST try these! Makes a full 13 x 9 panful of the most delicious and amazing baked treat. Two layers. A soft peanut butter bottom (cross between a cake and a shortbread) topped with a delicious dark chocolate frosting. If you love peanut butter cups, then you will absolutely go mmmm over our double trouble bars.

Our Cinnamon MIYM Donut Muffins

A fan favorite returning for one week only! Bite into one of these and your tastebuds will go oooohhh aaahhhh. Reminiscent of a delicious cinnamon sugar donut, but in MUFFIN form and baked to perfection!One box mix makes approximately 12 - 14 delicious muffins. Includes our delicious cinnamon sugar TWIST topper

REMEMBER - all DYB items are ALL natural - NO preservatives, NO additives, NO colors and NO dyes, just real food for real people!!

www.doyoubake.com.tammommy

a TAMM creations - evolution of a painting

a TAMM creation

Normally when I decide that I want to do a new painting, I just grab a canvas and go.  Today, I had an inspiration to do something for Fall. It was chilly here today, in fact with the windows open and the breeze blowing into the house, I actually had on a long-sleeve t-shirt!

This time, instead of just opening the paints and going, I grabbed a 12*12 stretched canvas and I did a pencil sketch of what I was thinking in my mind... 

Step One:

I sketched out a Sunflower motif. If you haven't figured it out, this is my favorite flower motif to use. I love the petals and the simplicity of the flower, but at the same time, I can use any color I want on it and it looks great!!

Then I did the background. Another first for me - I did it in this baby blue. I started out doing all my paintings on a very pale, almost watercolor background (it actually was because I watered the paint down a lot to get just a hint of color to the background).  The next progression in my painting growth was to use a bold, bright blue as my background, and I loved the pop that it gave the flowers.  Today though, I just didn't feel that either of those was going to work for this fall flower I had in mind. So I was looking through my huge storage tub of paints, and I came across the baby blue and decided that was the perfect background.

Step Two:

I started with the center. For a sunflower it has to be a brown base coat.  I also used the brown to put down some vein lines in some of the petals.

Now I may have started the middle with a simple brown, but after a few coats a layer of yellow was added, then more coats of brown until just the right hint of the yellow peaked through and it looked like that deep, rich, multi-seeded middle of a sunflower. 

Then to really give it that seeded look and to do something completely different, I covered the center in a light layer of fine glitter! Yes I did! Just enough to catch the light from across the room and give the painting dimension. 

 Step Three: 

Now we are getting into the petals. I started with the ones that will appear to be in the back layer of the flower petals and I went with a bright orange. Light layers of the orange, then a very little bit of the brown in the center of the petals, and another couple of layers of orange, and I finally had what I liked.

The closer layer of petals were done in a bright yellow, not a lemon yellow, but a golden yellow.  Same way, two or three layers of yellow, then a light layer of the orange in the very middle of the petals closest to the center, and then more yellow until it was perfect.

Step Four:

Here is where I allowed it time to dry.

Then I went back in with a little brown on a dry brush and brought out those veins in the orange petals. I also went back around the outside edge of every petal to make sure it was clean and didn't look wonky.

Lastly I added the glitter in the middle and allowed it to dry again.

The last step was to sign and date the back! Now its all ready to be photographed and listed in the store!!

a TAMM creation - Custom Painting Order

a TAMM creation

One of the things that I always mention on the store site, is that I will do custom orders. I just don't usually have anyone inquiring about them.

The other day I got a message from a customer that really liked one of the paintings, but was wondering if I could do it to match a rug she had in her living room.  Of course!!  I had her send me a picture of the rug to begin with.

This is the rug that she was looking to match.  I studied the rug, then I turned it and enlarged it so that I could see the colors and the variations better.

I came up with a color palette that I felt matched the rug pretty well. The outside most edges are a light sand color, then the next variation moving inwards is a deeper sand or more taupe color, then there is a bit of a brownish-orange and the red, with a purplish red in the very middle.

I put the colors onto a white sheet of paper and photographed it to send to her, as well as making a picture with the rug and the palette together.

Now, I sent these two photos above to the customer to get a feeling for what she thought. She loved them and requested to see the painting in both a circles theme and a squares them. 

So today, I spent the time painting two 12*12 stretched canvases in her colors and themes.

If she approves, they will be sold to her today. If not, or she wants changes, I will do those, and then these two will go up on the website!

All in all it was a fun day and something I don't get to do all that much, but hopefully, now that you all know that I am willing and able to do custom orders, I will be doing more of them!!

a TAMM creation - Football Friday

a TAMM creation

It's Football Friday!! In honor of high school sports, which sees football games every Friday night of the fall, and college and NFL football as well, a TAMM creation has declared today Football Friday.

Check out our Football Spirit Wear!!

Denver Broncos Earrings

Etsy Listing 



Denver Broncos Necklace

Etsy Listing

 Broncos Necklace

Etsy Listing


SF 49ers Necklace

Etsy Listing

Cheerleader Earrings

Etsy Listing - White
Etsy Listing - Black

Football Earrings

Etsy Listing

Don't see your favorite team or your school colors? Send me a message and I will let you know what I can do.  I do have other NFL teams in the works, and I can custom make your school colors into earrings or necklaces.

a TAMM creation

a TAMM creation - Animal Thursday

a TAMM creation

Animal Thursday!!

So, I am calling today Animal Thursday, and in honor of that I have highlighted a few of the animal earrings that are in the Etsy Shop.

 Hippo Earrings

Etsy Listing - Hippos



                                                 Zebra Earrings

                         Etsy Listing - Zebra

Yellow Girl Frogs



Etsy Listing - Yellow Frogs


                                             Sock Monkey's 

                          Etsy Listing - Grey Sock Monkey's

Don't see your favorite animal? Send me a request and I will see what I can find or make for you! I am always up for making new and interesting earrings.

While you are in the shop - check out the new line of NFL pendant necklaces and earrings, just in time for the start of football season!

a TAMM creation

Do You Bake? - Lunchbox Ideas - Dunkin Nuggets

www.doyoubake.com/tammommy

This lunchbox is a fun, healthy and delicious option when you just do not feel like packing a sandwich.  Much of this lunchbox  can be made up ahead, frozen and pulled out at future dates for perfectly portioned lunchbox options.  Serve with fresh fruit, vegetables and a delicious dipping sauce for a great balance of flavors and textures.

Prep 101 – Make Ahead Options

#1 : Make your Good ‘Ol Nuggets : Follow the package directions on the box of Do You Bake? Lunchbox Lovers line of Good ‘Ol Nuggets.  These make a great dinner or snack and leftovers can be used for lunches.  Simply cool your cooked nuggets completely and freeze in zip top bags into individual portion sizes

#3 : Make your Dunk the Chunks Cookies : Follow the package directions on the box of Do You Bake? Dunk the Chunks Cookies mix. These make great snacks and desserts as well. There will be plenty leftover.  You can freeze them in packages of twos, threes or fours and pull them out as you plan to build your lunchboxes.

Time To Make Your Lunchbox!

#1 : Take your bento box or lunchbox and add the following to your different compartments

• Good ‘Ol Chicken Nuggets in one compartment
• In your next compartment, place fresh vegetables such as carrot sticks or celery sticks accompanied by your favorite nuggets ‘n’ veggie dipping sauce (honey mustard, ranch and others make perfect pairings)
• In a third compartment grab a perfect portion of your favorite fruit such as grapes, orange segments or berries
• Finally in your last compartment add a few Dunk the Chunks Cookies for YUMMY sweet satisfying snacking.