Out of the Woods

Humbled

2012-02-24T06:48:00.001-05:00

I am overwhelmed. I just received notice that I am one of 20 to receive the Award of Merit in the International Art Competition. We'll be flying out to Utah for the award ceremony and the opening of the competition exhibit. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would get this far in this competition. I'm so new at this whole thing, and I feel incredibly blessed. That the chest, which is so personal to me and my family, is recognized this way, makes it all the more remarkable.

MY CHEST (OF DRAWERS) IS IN THE MUSEUM!

2012-02-10T21:31:00.002-05:00

I just received word that my temple chest has been selected from 1156 entries to be included in the exhibit in the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City from March 16 - to October 14. I hope everyone who lives within a reasonable distance will go to see it, and you can even vote for me! I'll find out about winning a possible award on March 16, and possibly being published in the Ensign magazine and Church news later, but just being accepted into the exhibit is thrilling beyond belief! By the way, I never gave Sarah Strobel the photography credit for taking the beautiful pictures. Thanks, Sarah.

Jasper

2012-01-31T17:11:00.001-05:00

You may remember the Dr. Seuss plaque here. I have created a coordinated personalized plaque for the now one year old for whom the original plaque was made.

How Can I Keep from Singing?

2012-01-31T17:07:00.000-05:00

I needed a coat rack for my room at school where I teach, and I was very excited to display one of my favorite songs ever. Functional and yet inspiring.

Salt Lake Temple

2012-01-31T17:04:00.000-05:00

I have created two plaques featuring the Salt Lake Temple; one shows a spring scene and the other winter. I photographed the winter one in the snow, ironically. I enjoy the contrast of the two pieces.

Valentine's Day

2012-01-23T19:23:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you love Valentine's Day like I do, but it is my second favorite holiday. I love to send gifts, especially to my kids. This year I made little hanging heart plaques with their first initials burned into them. Conversation hearts were my inspiration. Cute?

Temple ornaments

2012-01-01T22:06:00.000-05:00

For Christmas this year, I designed ornaments with pictures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' temples in which my children were married. They included lots of details, but they were fun and the kids loved them.

More ornaments

2011-12-17T16:06:00.000-05:00

These are some of the custom ornaments I have created this season. Folks who are spending Christmas with their whole family wanted to have a memento of the event.

But, they also wanted special ornaments for their children.

Me?

2011-12-10T16:30:00.000-05:00

I took a chance and entered my temple chest in the Ninth International Art Competition for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This competition is really incredible, with exquisite work submitted from all over the globe. Hundreds of people submit their work, and if you're really lucky, your work is chosen for the exhibit in the beautiful church museum on Temple Square. Other awards are possible in addition to the exhibit, as well. I received notice this week, that my piece had been accepted to be juried in the final round of judging, and that I needed to ship my chest of drawers to Salt Lake City in January! I screamed. And screamed. How can this be? I am beyond thrilled, and now just have to figure out how to ship it out.

Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-04T18:07:00.000-05:00

I have been busy making Christmas ornaments; some generic and some custom orders. Here are some pix:

How would you like a personalized sign for your business?

2011-10-12T22:48:00.000-04:00

I would custom design, burn, and paint a sign for your business by copying your logo or creating a new look.

Temple Chest

2011-10-08T21:40:00.000-04:00

For a year and a half I have been working on my most prized piece. It is a chest of drawers with a temple theme. Each drawer has a picture of an LDS temple on it that is special to our family: Washington, D.C. where my husband and I were sealed, Boston which is our current temple, Newport Beach, Sacramento, and Mt. Timpanogos where our children were sealed, and the Manhattan temple which is housed in the same building where my husband was baptized. The lyrics to the song, "I Love to See the Temple" are on each drawer and other quotes about temples are on the sides of the chest with other designs. On the top of the chest is a sunstone which are on the Nauvoo temple and the sentiment, "Families Can Be Together Forever" is included in the design.

It was a beautiful experience for me to work on this piece that is so personal for our family, and to think about the special covenants that were have made in those houses of the Lord. I am very happy with the way it turned out.

Aloha!

2011-09-25T09:02:00.000-04:00

I was asked to make a plaque for a new baby whose parents love Hawaii. It was great fun to investigate flowers of Hawaii and design a sea scape incorporating those beautiful flowers. I hope Kai learns to love Hawaii, too.

All creatures great and small

2011-09-14T10:21:00.000-04:00

My dear friend is an animal freak. No really, don't step on a spider in her presence! I thought the perfect frame for her would be a representation of her pets. (Note, not all of them!) Her house is also full of colors that are reflective of her heritage, so the colors needed to be vibrant. She was very happy to have a permanent tribute to some of her animals.

Being a brother is better than being a superhero.

2011-09-03T08:20:00.000-04:00

Creating a plaque for a dear friend who just had a baby was a delight. The baby shares a room with his older brother and it has been decorated with adorable printed fabrics. My friend wanted the plaque to match as much of the decor as possible, so I went to town with chevrons, elephants and stripes. I found a great quote for brothers, too. What fun.

Mexico City

2011-08-26T18:46:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to figure out what kind of plaque to make for my wonderful brother and sister in law, when it came to me, Mexico City! They served a mission there for my church and were in charge of the visitors' center which was next door to the Mexico City temple, which is the focal point of the plaque. I wanted to write the sentiment in Spanish (my first!) and I investigated flowers grown in Mexico. This may be my favorite plaque so far. I hope they like it as much as I do!

New Baby!

2011-08-24T15:18:00.000-04:00

My niece just had a new baby and her name is Presley! I thought that I needed to create a name plaque for someone with such a cute name. Her room is pink (natch) and I love polka dots. I'll post this on my Etsy account, too.

My most recent plaques

2011-08-11T09:52:00.000-04:00

Monsters revisited

2011-08-06T12:15:00.001-04:00

Remember the monster plaque I made for my friends' baby, Max? Well it's his first birthday and they have asked me to make a name plaque to match. It was so fun to go back and rethink this.

Temple wedding

2011-08-02T14:55:00.003-04:00

A dear friend, who I have know since she was born was married this spring in the LDS temple in Manti, Utah. For their wedding gift, I thought a picture of that beautiful temple would be perfect and of course "Families are Forever" would be the sentiment. She and her husband also requested the accent colors that are their favorites.

Wedding gift

2011-07-30T17:02:00.003-04:00

As I just mentioned in my last post, my daughter got married July 2 and she loves all things nautical. So, I designed a plaque for her and her new husband with that in mind. (I hope he likes nautical stuff, too!) I used the New Haven lighthouse as the inspiration for the theme of the plaque. By the way, the semaphore flags spell "Eternity".

Wedding ornaments

2011-07-29T13:33:00.003-04:00

My baby girl got married in July! In creating ornaments for the trees, I thought dream, love and eternity were perfect themes for a wedding, and they added such a fun touch to the many beautiful trees in the beautiful yard.

Congratulations!

2011-06-06T06:17:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to those who commented on Caitlin Creer's blog and won three of my original pieces! Here are the winning items. I'll be doing more giveaways in the future, so keep your eyes open.

GIVEAWAY!

2011-05-23T19:01:00.005-04:00

Head on over to Caitlin's amazing blog to enter my giveaway. Don't forget to become a follower here (scroll down to the bottom) to be entered!

I'm offering 3 of my favorite pieces to choose from. You don't want to miss this.

I hope you win!

Doggies

2011-05-05T23:07:00.004-04:00

Don't you love this quote?

I've been wanting to design a plaque using this quote for awhile, and after reading Pioneer Woman and about the antics of her dog, Charlie, I knew I wanted to design a plaque with his picture on it. I hope she likes it. Do you have a pooch you'd like honored on a plaque like this?

New Baby Plaque

2011-04-17T06:45:00.002-04:00

I was invited to a shower for two very dear friends who are having a baby, and I was very excited to create a plaque for them. I found out their nursery palette and using a patchwork theme, designed this plaque for them. I really like the freshness of it.

Wear the old coat and buy the new book.

2011-03-30T16:47:00.004-04:00

Our family has always read lots of books -- together, apart, whatever. For the final piece (the combined bookcase and desk) to be designed in my daughter's bedroom, I chose a book theme. The sides of the bookcase itself are filled with quotes about books and the sides of the desk are filled with book titles and authors. These are all favorites of my family. I asked them all what titles and authors they would most like to have burned into the piece, and that's what I did. Now, it really belongs to all of us.

Etsy!

2011-02-27T19:05:00.001-05:00

We have opened an Etsy account! Check it out, by clicking "Etsy" at the top of the page.

Let's design a plaque for you!

2011-01-11T12:31:00.002-05:00

Now that you have seen the many styles of plaques I create, let's think about one customized just for you. Think about the sentiment you'd like: scripture, quote, lyric, book title, child's name, funny saying.
Think about the art you'd like: place, flowers, book illustration, animals
Think about your palette: what will go in your house, child's room, whimsical, elegant, muted, bright

Either comment here, or send me an email at ootwdesign@gmail.com and we'll discuss a custom design and palate just for you.

Baby Plaque

2011-01-08T19:41:00.000-05:00

I've decided that plaques for babies' rooms are my favorite to make. The themes are so fun, and to be able to match the colors in the nurseries is exciting. My friend whom I have known since she was 5 years old is having a baby, and loves Dr. Seuss books. She and her husband are such delightful people and I wanted to design an especially fanciful plaque for their baby shower. I think we'd all like to invite our babies to go many places and see wonderful things. I loved this theme.

Creativity

2010-10-25T18:41:00.000-04:00

There are many ways we can be creative. My dear friend taught a lesson at church on creativity that really hit home with me. This quote I immediately put on my refrigerator so I could think of ways that I used my gift of creativity on any given day. I made the plaque as a going away present for this friend to let her know that she had impacted my life in an important way. How are you using your creativity today? Did you make someone feel better about themselves? Did you fulfill a need in yourself? Did you solve a problem?

Sisters, Sisters

2010-09-25T07:44:00.000-04:00

I have the privilege of having six strong and wonderful sisters. Two of them had their birthdays last week, and I had the pleasure of creating plaques for them. When I am designing a plaque for someone, I love thinking about what text would either suit them or give them inspiration, and what design and palate would complement their home. These two were especially fun for me.

New Look

2010-09-19T18:15:00.001-04:00

My beautiful and talented daughter-in-law has helped me look more professional. I love what she has done with my blog. I even have a button. Grab it! Share it! Spread the word!

Three Trees

2010-09-08T19:15:00.000-04:00

My friend Marci found this adorable armoire on the street, and realizing she wouldn't get to refinish it before she moved away, she gave it to me. When I sanded the layers of terrible finish, lo and behold there was beautiful cedar underneath. I immediately knew what the theme of the piece was going to be and that I needed to leave much of the wood exposed. These are three trees represented in three different stories in the Book of Mormon.

Angels Doll Trunk

2010-09-08T19:03:00.000-04:00

Part of my tag sale find was this adorable doll trunk. I couldn't resist pastels, angels and rainbows. This will be a toy for our grandchildren.

Customize your own plaque!

2010-08-28T12:15:00.000-04:00

Now that you have seen many of my plaques, think of what you would like on your own plaque.

1. Choose the text would you like: scripture, inspirational quote, song lyrics or funny saying...

2. Decide what pictures you would like: favorite places, flowers, themes, book characters...

3. Choose the palate: coordinate with your home, whimsical, elegant, childlike...

For your very own customized plaque, leave a comment here or email me at: mjs1652@sbcglobal.net. We can discuss the possibilties.

The cost of the plaque is $100.00.

Huntington Beach

2010-08-26T23:24:00.000-04:00

My son and daughter in law just moved into their own apartment in Huntington Beach. They love the beach so much, so I thought the famous image of the pier would be perfect for a plaque for their new home.

Beatles plaque

2010-08-14T08:33:00.000-04:00

My sister-in-law is crazy go nuts for anything Beatles. I had great fun making this plaque for her birthday.

Out of Small Things...

2010-07-28T09:06:00.000-04:00

I hit payload with a neighborhood tag sale and was able to purchase several pieces of unfinished furniture. I thought this little table was adorable and decided to continue with my "small things" theme

2010-07-28T08:59:00.000-04:00

I stayed with some friends in their adorable, tiny flat in London last month, and wanted to thank them for their hospitality. So I created this London inspired plaque.

2010-06-28T17:57:00.001-04:00

FURNITURE

The designs I create are first burned into the wood and then painted.

For my first furniture designs, I decided to paint all of the furniture in my daughter, Heidi's room. She's away at school, so I emptied her room, and am painting piece by piece in my garage! I took apart her loft bed and created two twin beds incorporating the night time and morning time themes.

The nighttime bed's quotes are "Listen for His Voice" on the headboard, and "His tender mercies are over all His works" on the footboard.

The morning time bed's quotes are "Lift up thy heart and rejoice" on the headboard, and "Be not weary in your well doing" on the footboard. I chose those scriptures because I felt they were appropriate for the time of day and the inspiration you might need during those times.

Here are close ups of the morning bed.

My ultimate goal with this new hobby is to quit my job and do it full time. So, if you are interested in ordering your own custom designed piece, please let me know.

2010-06-28T17:22:00.000-04:00

PLAQUES

I was very excited about creating this plaque for some dear friends who are having a baby. I knew the theme and the colors of their nursery, and had a ball designing the plaque specifically for their new little guy's room.

I love the quote "Come what may, and love it". We had a women's conference at church which incorporated this theme and I created a plaque using the design of their advertising for the conference as my inspiration

Some dear friends were moving to Utah, and I designed a plaque for them using the quote "Have I done any good in the world today" because they are the most service oriented people I know. I also used the coast and mountains for the design to illuminate the move from east to west.

Welcome!

2010-06-28T16:48:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Out of the Woods.

Specialty painted furniture and plaques incorporating inspirational quotes and custom sayings and designs.

2005-05-10T01:29:00.000-04:00

An example of quotes to use:

Come what may and love it!

A candle doesn’t lose its light by lighting another candle.

The Lord cannot guide you unless you move your feet.

Wither thou goest, I will go.

Fear not, I am with thee.

Hold to the iron rod.

Put your shoulder to the wheel.

Choose the right.

The nature to nurture.

When the Lord commands, do it.

Look for the way sacredness already surrounds you.

You are never lost when you can see the temple.

Simplicity is the essence of sophistication.

Have an attitude of gratitude.

If we are humble, he will tutor us.

If you truly own who you are, no one can use you against you.

Choose you this day whom ye will serve.

We can only hear Him with our heart.

Lord, what will you have me do?

2005-02-23T15:01:00.004-05:00

Q. What is your process like?

A. I first get the piece of wood and create the design on paper

to fit the piece. I then draw the design on the wood itself, and

then burn it into the wood. I then paint with either latex or

acrylic paints.

Q. Do you do custom work?

A. Absolutely. If you have a quote or saying or book title and

a palette in mind, I will help you decide on the design. If you

have specific ideas about the pictures as well, I will try to

design the pictures exactly as you wish.

Q. How do you decide pricing?

A. I judge the price according the cost and size of the raw

piece, the detail of the design and amount of time necessary

to complete it.

Q. How do you hang the plaques?

A. I attach a hook on the back for hanging.

Q. What about shipping?

A. Plaques ship for $10.00. Furniture will be calculated at time of sale. Personal delivery of furniture is available in New England.

2005-02-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

visit my etsy shop!

2005-02-23T15:00:00.003-05:00

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, singer, actress, director and teacher who developed a love for painting late in life. In 2003, I decided to be trained as a scenic artist as I was painting all of

the scenery for the plays my husband and I direct at our school. I developed a passion for painting, not just scenery and the illusions I can create, but for many different kinds of painting. I really love the feel of the medium and manipulating it. Something else I have

always really loved is wood – especially raw wood. Along with painting effects on wood for scenery, I discovered that I loved to burn and paint designs and text on all kinds of wood pieces. It has become a bit of an obsession. Proof of this, is my daughter’s old bedroom. I took all of the natural wood furniture in her room and transformed it into designed, burned and painted works of folk art. I am especially fond of spiritually based messages or inspirational

quotes on these pieces, but I also really love to do whimsical plaques for children’s rooms with book themes. If I could stop almost everything else in my life (other than playing with my grandchild) I would, just so I could design, burn and paint all day every day.

2005-02-23T00:30:00.000-05:00

Etsy