Once Upon a Time...

...in a castle on a hill, lived two little Princess sisters; Keira & Brookie!

These scrolls were designed exclusively for the Savelli sisters of Ancaster; two tiny fairy tots with big eyes and pretty smiles. Inspiration for these scrolls was certainly not a difficult task considering the highest quality of cuteness that resides in their home.

The backgrounds of the girls initial scrolls are painted pink diamonds adorned with sparkly sequins at all of the points. Keira's initial is lavender with pansies and a pixie in a petal dress. Brookies art is pink, white and yellow all over; daisies, roses and a fairy tot sliding down the letter B. Each of their names are written in script on a banner; bunched at the corners with ribbons and flowers. The bottom edges are cut in diamond scallops.
The Castle is the centerpiece scroll with two S banners (Savelli Sisters) hanging outside the drawbridge door. Candy-coloured flags wave in the breeze along with a whirl of butterflies and sparkles. To frame the corner, a patch of daisies and roses lie in the foreground.

These were fun to create and I am sorry that I have to give them away now.
Thanks to the Sweetie Pea Savelli sisters for letting me take part in the decor of their playroom;)

Q T Kylie: Year of the Piglet

Our friends Linda & Jay proudly welcomed little Kylie O on August 14th, making her a Year of the Piglet munchkin. As you can see, she is literally a doll, hidden amoung her crib pals. (She is the cute one drooling.)

Before she arrived, I had the priviledge of painting her nursery in the popular Little Miss & Mr. Men storybook characters. Each character was carefully chosen by mommy & daddy to represent their parents and siblings in a rotating mural. Kylie, as Little Miss Tiny, is front and center between Mr.Funny & Little Miss Sunshine (a.k.a mom & dad): always surrounded by the ones they love, in a whimsical way. This nursery suits the family to a tea; colourful, fun and connected.

Linda & Jay are very lucky parents, though little Kylie has it pretty good too; an incredible mom & dad and an extended family full of love to give.

So a wee welcome to the Wongs newest addition. She is a keeper;)

This One's For the Boys

...or the girls.

The most requested mural this year has been hockey jerseys. From dads-to-be to hockey moms, everyone has a favourite team and player that they want customized to canvas or walls.

It all started when the V family of Hamilton asked me to paint four child-sized jerseys hanging from a wooden shelf in their son's room. He is an avid hockey player and they catered the mural so it was personal for him; favourite players and teams, his own hockey stick and skates painted in the corner, his gloves hanging from a small painted shelf in the opposite corner and over his bed, four jerseys including one with his name, helmet and his goggles resting on top. Since, I have had many customers request similar murals or canvas. Some other samples can be seen on the website http://www.sweetpeamurals.com/ which features the main portion of the V families order; the original jersey mural by Sweet Pea (see the "Testimonials" page).

There are several reasons why I think this has become so popular. The obvious; Canadians like their ice wrestling. Number two; it is a theme that lasts and grows well from childhood to the teenage years and lastly it is a classy way of bringing sports paraphenilia into the decor of the home. Many an adult hockey fan has easily convinced his wife that his recreation room could use a painted jersey or two... maybe a vintage locker...a logo...pair of stinky gym socks.

Pictured above is this weeks canvas order, requested by a first-time mom-to-be for dad-to-be's Christmas gift. I would reveal the other half of the 30x40" canvas, but it shows baby's name on the back of the jersey...and some things need to be a surprise.

Ye Draco Dormiens

"Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus" (psuedo Latin for "Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon".)

However this resting, winged creature looks a wee bit too friendly to worry about. Draco's wings are lightly dusted with morning dew drop sparkles and his tail curls into a pointy arrow. Wee knights hide playfully behind the coat of arms. This stretched canvas spans 5x2.5 feet across the lizard green wall. By providing me with a medieval chic theme to work with, this sweet little family in Kitchener brought me back to the days of the Paperbag Princess (who doesn't love Robert Munsch?)

Painted for two little knights who share sleeping quarters this canvas comes complete with family crest and a quote created by mom as the magical finishing touch. Definitely an original family keepsake to be playfully passed along to the knights and princesses to come.

Baby Face!

Somehow a painting just isn't complete without the kids that inspire them. Patti Miller has mastered the art of making someones character shine through with a click of the camera (she makes it look so easy!).
Pairing up the murals with the kids who belong to them resulted in some fantastic images and many a good giggle. It really brings the personal part of my job into the light; meeting and working with families of all kinds for a little window in time.
Great big thanks to Patti Miller Photography & the families that helped make the photo shoot possible!