Annie Lang's Blog!

  The holidays are fast approaching so I've already started to plan this year's holiday decorating theme!  Potted trees, painted wood round ornaments, evergreen branches, farmhouse style clay pots and painted bottles filled with poinsettias and holly, are on my "to-do" list so I thought I'd get things started with a simple sign that anyone can make.  This sign was hand painted with black, white and forest green acrylic paints.  I also used red and silver Sharpie paint pens to highlight the upper lettering and add accent border lines.  I used a wood innkeepers sign I purchased several years ago, but this design is easily suited for wooden trays, metal sheet signs, painted on burlap, chalkboards and more.  To download the full size free pattern (also suitable for electronic cutting machines) simply right click and save the image to your computer.  You are also encouraged to share this link with friends, family and Pinterest boards!  Happy crafting!

Here's a quick and easy way to add a folksy look to any decorative planter, container or any other creative surface you may have onhand.  Whether it's terra cotta pots, a wooden * wheelbarrow like the pictured sample or a simple metal bucket, anyone can paint this design up super quick with only a few craft paints and basic brushes.  Paint colors used for the original design shown are white, dark green, yellow, orange and country red but you can use any colors of your choice.  I used DecoArt patio paints that hold up well for outdoor use, but you can use craft paints and then seal with clear finish when paint has dried. Below you'll find the repeatable design you can use as a pattern or coloring guide.  Use a flat brush to paint checkerboard squares, round brushes for the flowers and a liner to paint freestyle lines through the squares.  To download the design, just click the image below and save to your computer.  Enjoy! *NOTE:  The pictured wheelbarrow is no longer

You can make every day a blue ribbon day with Annie Lang's County Fair Kids and County Fair farm themed clipart collections!  Make fun items for yourself, products for the craft booth or items for your online marketplace.  There's a license available for however you'd like to use them from Creative Market who now hosts my digital clipart, prints and fonts collections! 

We're enjoying a few day of Indian Summer here in Michigan.  Yesterday seemed the perfect time to head on out to spend a little time in search of a few of our local autumn delights that will quickly disappear within the next few weeks.  The autumn colors are not as bright and vibrant this year due to the recent weather, but every now and then, Mother Nature provided us with a surprising display of reds, oranges and yellows scattered along some rural country roads.  We spotted a few pheasants along with a flock of wild turkeys crossing the road and watched several farmers hard at work harvesting their crops.  This year, my son wanted to visit the Holly,Michigan area which just happens to be the town where he grew up. We made a stop at the Mitchell farm which featured a surprising display of pumpkins, florals and autumn decor naturals for sale like indian corn, hay bales and cornstalks.  In years past, the Mitchell farm sold produce and goods from their barn, but they've s

Try these fun ideas to make your Country Western Themed Party a hit! Make it Country!  My husband and I recently attended a very different kind of company hosted themed gathering that could easily be adapted to a Country Christmas theme. Simply add some holiday greens and florals and you're there!  Here's a photo composition created with digital snapshots featuring some of the unique decorations and culinary novelties served at the event.   Hopefully you'll be able to incorporate a few of these delightful ideas for your own Country Western Gala events! Chairs were draped with a satin covering and a red bandana was prominently displayed in lieu of a bow on the back of each chair. An enormous cardboard cutout was lit up on the dessert station using a simple up-light which made the boot appear even bigger!  Stemware filled with apple pie and strawberry shortcake surrounded the boot along with guest choices of carrot cake, bread pudding and cherry cobbler.  Guest ta