Barn Board Name Signs

The idea hit me on Saturday. I had the first one done on Wednesday! What can I say? When I get excited about a great idea I just have to DO IT! I think you'll love this one too.

They were added to the website today. Rustic barn board look wall signs. Although my first thought was for kids rooms with a child's name on them I had friends that quickly jumped all over the family name sign for their homes. In a matter of (literally) minutes they were waving hands in the air saying "Pick me! Pick me!" for samples. So with their influence for names and colours the first four samples were born this week. I'm really happy with the results and I can't wait to do more. So many options with this one.

The finer details? These barnboard look name signs are made from one solid piece of wood that is designed to look like rustic barnboard. The name is cut separately in the font of your choice and attached on top. There are three sizes to choose from depending on the name length, plenty of font options and whatever colours your little heart desires!
 

Small: 1 - 3 Letters - 22x13.5"
Medium: 4 - 8 Letters - 30x18.5"
Large: 9 - 13 Letters - 42x26"

So? What do you think? For pricing and details click here: Barn Board Name Signs

New! Katerina Mertikas Wall Letters

 (This is my daughter Devyn. More than happy to model with this letter to show it's size she expects to become famous for having her picture on the internet.)

We artists are a funny bunch. For a lot of us it takes us years to actually admit that we even ARE artists. It's funny looking back. I've always been good at art. Always. My entire life people would say, "You're an artist!" and I'd feel uncomfortable with that title because I just didn't think I was good enough to deserve it. So I'd reply with, "Well, I can draw pretty good."

Years into a life where I've made my art my actual profession I can finally admit that yes, I am indeed an artist and a professional one at that. But man, I am hard on myself. We sure are our own worst critics. I'm constantly picking my own work apart, figuring out what I would do differently the next time and looking for ways to improve. The worst is looking at other artist's work. EVERYONE seems better than me!

So I have to admit that I got a kick out of Katerina Mertikas when we first started chatting. Here was this FAMOUS, PROFESSIONAL, AWARD-WINNING artist and she was telling me how great MY art was! What?!?! I LOVE her stuff. I did not feel worthy to be in the company of such greatness! SHE is great. Me? Meh, I'm ok I guess.....

We chatted back and forth quite a bit. We wanted to make sure we could created a product that everyone would love and after a few days I believe we accomplished what we set out to do. Actually, I didn't do much. All I did was send her some BIG letters (30 inches high these babies stand!) and she worked her magic! It has to be magic. I'm not sure how else to explain their beauty!

We started with three designs and this is what they are. Aren't they beautiful? Pictures do not do them justice. They are so vivid, so bold. As a color-lover I can't stop staring at them!

 Ballet Tutus which features REAL gems stones and lots of glitter!

 Practicing With My Puppy Nearby a personal favorite. My son wants this one! Also, a little-known secret about me? I HATE painting hockey scenes. I don't know why but I just don't like it! This should work out well since she loves painting hockey!

New Umbrella which also has sparkly glitter and the most vivid colors you will see!

 These letters are exclusive to Bouncing Off The Walls so you will not find them anywhere else. We welcome commissions so please let us know if there's something you would like to see.

To learn more about Katerina Mertikas and her work click here.
To purchase click here.
And of course, you are also welcome to pin!

Why I Won't Paint Disney Princesses

"Can you do a Winnie The Pooh theme? "My son really likes Pokemon. Can you do Pokemon letters?"
These are questions I get asked A LOT. My answer is always no. No, I will not paint Winnie the Pooh, Pokemon, Superman or even your favorite NHL logo. Why? I'll give you  some great reasons why I won't paint these or any other COPYRIGHTED characters.

First and foremost is the big one that I already mentioned - If it's copyrighted by another person or company I will not paint it. Period. Aside from the fact that I value my business enough that I don't wish it to be shut down by the high and mighty powers that rule our children these days, all of these characters were created by another artist. Another artist! As an artist I don't want people to copy my work so why would I do it to someone else? This also includes exact matches of bedding. As pretty as bedding is - fabric is also created by an artist and copyrighted.

When I tell people that I don't do copyright artwork I often have them say, "but I see other people doing it." Yes, other people do. I am not them. I cannot speak for them to say why they do it. I will not tell them to stop and I will not report them to shut them down. I would rather focus my energy on bettering my own business and working hard at creating unique products that are not the same as what you can find everywhere.

Being creative is the fun part. I love the challenge of creating my own designs and just letting the paint and brush guide me. Often times I'm making up the picture or design as I go. It's how I work best. It's why my products are different than any others you see out there. To copy someone else's work is to crush my creative flow. Trust me. It shuts down the fun, creative side of my brain and makes me have to work the other part. The part that does math and all the other boring stuff that makes me stress. No thank you! If you want an original, unique piece of work that has my heart and soul in it then let me create! You're hiring an artist not just a letter painter.

Here's another big reason: If you're the mother of any kid over two you get this. Kids grow fast and they change their minds constantly! That character that rules their world today? Forgotten as soon as the next big movie or trend comes out. My artwork isn't cheap. It's meant to last and withstand room makeovers. If we paint today's character on there how happy will you be when tomorrow they pronounce someone different as their new fav? Choose something that will stand the test of time and the changing of bedding.

Bedding. We all did it. It's our first pregnancy and we're sucked in by all the SO CUTE bedding for babies out there. We have time. Lots of time. Time to shop, time to plan the room, time to create the perfect nursery for our new bundle of joy to come home to.

Fast forward a couple of years and baby number two is on the way. That time thing? Haha. Who has that anymore? Baby one has to change rooms so baby two can move into the nursery. Now baby one needs toddler bedding. But the letters! The letters match the baby bedding that will now be used for baby two.  Well that was a lot of money for letters that don't match anything now! 

So what to do? You have a theme picked out. Gorgeous bedding. You want the letters to match. I dislike the word match. Let's coordinate. Pull a colour out of the bedding and go with solid letters. Solid letters will last through any room change. They will always go. They will withstand the stages your child goes through as they grow. 

You REALLY love your bedding and you want the letters to match. I get that, but let's coordinate. I can use some of the colours in the bedding and we can create something that will coordinate and still work even if the bedding changes down the road.

Here's some great examples of letters I have created for people that coordinate with their room or theme WITHOUT copying. Hopefully this will inspire you, too.

If characters are your thing, well, I can coordinate with that too. See if you can guess what the room themes were that inspired these designs!

New! Initial Name Letters for Boys!

Since we debuted our Initial Name Letters a few months back they have been our new best seller. We are having so much fun coming up with new designs and colour combinations but one thing that I've been thinking about is that so far all the designs have been very feminine. Although beautiful, the damasks and rustic pinks have not been very appealing for a more masculine room. 

So, I'd like to introduce a new font that I think will be perfect for all those boy's rooms out there! Here's our first one, hot off the presses! Let me know what you think of it!

Order yours here: Bouncing Off The Walls

Full Sized Ruler Growth Charts Available Now!

I don't know about your kids but mine are forever wanting to measure themselves. Daily. They seem to think that overnight they've sprung up a few inches and some days it feels as though they've done just that!

Our Wooden Artwork Growth Charts have always been a hugely popular item. Customizable to just about anything I've painted hundreds over the years to match pretty much any room or theme requested. These days a new trend is slowly showing up. People are passing over the themed rooms in favor of rooms that will last longer than the baby years. Rustic, vintage, shabby chic, "not babyish" and classic. All words that are showing up more and more in emails I exchange with my customers. People want a softer, more grown up look to the items they're choosing to surround their babies with.

That's why when the requests for Ruler Style growth charts started coming in we listened! New to the store these vintage inspired growth chart rulers are the perfect family heirloom to treasure for generations. A beautifully rustic piece of functional art allows you to capture your child's movement from toddler to teen.

Kids love marking their progress month by month and year by year as they grow from a toddler to a big kid. This wooden chart makes it easy for everyone to see just how fast your child is growing.

A beautiful addition to your child's bedroom decor or hang in the living area for all to see.

These Wooden Ruler Growth Charts measure 7" wide x 6' high so they're nice and big to accommodate even the tallest of the big kids! Designed to sit 6" above floor to avoid baseboards and make for easier hanging.

Choose from a variety of stains or CeCe Caldwell Chalk paint finishes. You can even opt for a dual process stain with distressed painted overlay for a more vintage fee. Whatever your choice it will be sure to be a wonderful keepsake for years to come!